A Link to the Past
by The Supreme
Summary: Link is just a young farm boy living with his uncle. He never expected to go on this amazing quest to prevent the rise of an almighty evil. He never expected to meet the Princess, or find out that he was the descendant of a group of legendary heroes. And he CERTAINLY didn't expect that he would be up to the task. Based off of A Link to the Past.
1. Prelude

**~A Link to the Past~**

**Hello folks! I'm the Supreme, and this is my newest story, based off of "Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past". I mainly wanted to write this story because I noticed that there are plenty of Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword stories, but no Link to the Past stories. Plus, A Link to the Past is the best Zelda game in my opinion (Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time are a close second), and I want to do the game justice. Now, obviously, there will be some creative liberties taken, but there's bound to be when you have a game like A Link to the Past. I'm not sure how often I'll be updating, since I've got college in about a week, but I'll do my best to update. I'll at least update more often than my ill fated other stories. And now for the disclaimer: I CLEARLY don't own the Legend of Zelda series. Anyway, On with the show!**

* * *

_Prelude_

Link was standing in a dimly lit room. The only source of light for the room came from a massive hole in the ceiling, in which a tiny ray of light shined into the bleak room. The stone walls towered menacingly around the young boy, casting ominous shadows on the tiled floor. The room was ancient, the walls were covered in moss and lichen, the floors tiles cracked and chipped from the eroding claws of time. The once beautiful ornaments and decorations that adorned the chamber were decayed and damaged, only adding to the decrepit state of the once mighty palace he stood in. On the floor, right where Link stood, was a mosiac of the Triforce. It was the only part of the room that had not suffered the deteriorating effects of time, still appearing as beautiful as when it was first built.

"So you've come," boomed a deep, menacing voice that emanated from behind Link. Gripping his shield and sword tightly, Link turned to face his foe. He could only make out the silhouette of the figure, but he easily see the figure towered above him, at least eight feet tall. His massive frame was dark and imposing, even without the light to reveal the features of his body. It was the unknown, the mystery of his appearance that was the most fearsome aspect of him.  
The only thing Link could make out of the figure was his eyes. They were bright, shining as though miniature stars. Yet they did not hold any warmth or security in them; they only burned with malice and evil intent. His very eyes radiated Power.

"So we meet at last, Ganon," Link said in a voice that echoed with such Courage he could hardly believe it was his own.

Ganon chuckled darkly, a deep booming sound akin to the sound of war drums. "I never imagined a boy like you would give me so much trouble. It is unbelieveable you managed to defeat my servant, Agaihnim, twice! You truly are the Hero of Hyrule."

"I won't let you harm the people of Hyrule any longer! I will defend this land, and any other land you try to conquer, to my dying breath!" Link roared boldly. He was surprised by how fierce he was right now. What had gotten into him suddenly? He should be cowering under a table right now, like any other sane person would do.

"You truly are an impressive boy, Hero. Quite possibly the greatest hero since the Great Hylian Knights themselves!" Ganon applauded, a mocking respect in his voice. However, his eyes quickly darkened, and his voice took on a threatening tone. "But do not think I will simply lay down and accept defeat just like that, Hero. I will never give you the Triforce. I will destroy you, and make my wish to conquer the Light World a reality!"

"I won't back down, Ganon," Link responded courageously. "I will defeat you, and I will undo all the damage you have done." With that, Link raised his sword, prepared to fight.

"So be it," Ganon muttered, taking a single step into the light. Link could barely make out his lower half now; he could see a massive leg, covered in dark grey fur, leading to a large, hoof-like foot. Ganon wore what appeared to be a belt of bronze around his waist, decorated with the skulls of his defeated foes.  
He sure knows how to make a guy intimidated, Link thought to himself, but shook the thought aside. He HAD to defeat Ganon; not just for himself, but for all of Hyrule, perhaps even all the world.

Ganon took another step, revealing his other leg. "Prepare to die an extremely painful, long, horrendous death, Hero..." Ganon muttered, before springing out of the light.

* * *

"Wake up, Link!" The first thing Link realised when he awoke was that he was safe, away from whoever was haunting his nightmares and the terrors that came with it. He sighed in relief.

The second thing he realised was that his uncle was still shaking him.

"I'm awake, Uncle!" Link shouted as he playfully shoved his uncle away. His uncle grinned in response.

"Good, because we have some serious preparing to do, Link." Link's Uncle said, his goofy grin still not leaving his face.

Link frowned in confusion. "Preparing? For what?" He asked hesitantly. He loved his uncle, but the man had a bit of habit of tricking Link into doing tedious tasks under the pretenses of them being surprises.

"Don't tell me you forgot about the Festival already?" Uncle asked, raising his eyebrow. "You were the one who insisted we go this year, Link."  
Link's face instantly broke out into a massive grin. "That's right! The Festival is tonight!"

The Festival of Hyrule was one of the most famous and celebrated events in all of Hyrule. It celebrated the end of a great evil that was sealed long ago, and was always held in Hyrule Castle Town on the summer solstice. There were many stands, games, banquets, and dancing, and toward the end of the night, the Hyrulean Guard sets up a large circle of candles in the town square. the King of Hyrule and his eldest child always light the first two candles, then the citizens each take turns lighting a single candle. Since there are a limited number of candles, few people get to light a candle, and those that do are said to have good fortune for the rest of the year.

Link had wanted to going to the Festival since he could remember, and though he did once when he was five, the other times he had been unable to due to his uncle and him being away. The problem was, Link's Uncle was a respected swordman throughout all of Hyrule. He was often called upon by the Hyrulean Guard to help in fighting off the occasional Moblin, or to help arrest a group of local bandits. When he wasn't doing that, he was tending to the farm that he and Link lived on. Between the two of them put together, it was rare they ever had time for Festivals.

"Now Link," Uncle said, now serious, "Remember, we must first gather up the harvest and bring into town. We'll sell it at the market before the Festival, and when we're done I still need to have a talk with the Guard about the recent Moblin attacks, but after that, we can go to the Festival."  
Link cheered and quickly rushed outside. The quicker he could get the harvest gathered, the quicker they could get to town. Behind him, Uncle chuckled to himself. The boy was an eager lad, to be sure. He was always ready to do whatever was needed, ready to give 100% to any task. He was a great kid, and Uncle often thought of Link like his own son.

He had raised the lad since he was only a few months old, when Link's parents mysteriously vanishedone afternoon. Uncle had found the baby on his doorstep, with a short and abrupt letter:  
Protect my son,  
~Phillip~  
Since that day, Uncle had treated Link like his own son, and the two had become as close as family could be. Uncle had no dobt in his mind that Link would become a great young man one day.

One day, his Link would become a Hero.

* * *

"Princess Zelda!"

The call rang through the castle like a gong. Normally, a person would have been startled by such a loud outburst, but to the residents of Hyrule Castle, this was nothing new. The woman who had shouted was an elderly woman, wearing a long burgundy cloak. Her long silver hair fell messily into her face, which was filled with many wrinkles and age lines. Her red eyes burned with annoyance as she stormed down the hall till she reached a large wooden.

Huffing, the woman banged on the door before shouting, "I know you're in there, Zelda! Your father is very angry with what you did!"  
A voice called out angrily from behind the door, "He's the one who doesn't care about what I have to say!"  
Sighing, the woman assumed a more gentle tone before asking, "May I please come in, Zelda? It is awkward to be having a conversation with you from behind this door."

For a moment, there was silence from Zelda, and the elderly woman have expected her to have just ignored her. However, after a few more seconds, the door swung open, revealing the young princess standing in the doorway, a sour look on her face. Her blond hair was braided elegantly, and she wore an exquite circlet, made of solid gold and encrusted with several sapphires, on her head. She wore a beautiful purple dress made of silk, the designs of the royal family boldly displayed on the front of the dress. Overall, the princess looked just that: like a princess.

"I'm not apologizing, Impa," Zelda said firmly, her blue eyes lit with determination. If there was one word to desribe the Hylian princess, it was stubborn. She always held her ground, and refused to give up her beliefs; to her, her ideals were everything.

"I'm not saying you should," Impa replied, a small smile on her face, "But you were rather rude at the meeting-"

"Agahnim was being totally unreasonable!" Zelda cut her off, beginning her rant once more. "He's suggesting we cancel the Festival, Impa! And for what? A group of Moblins that isn't even a threat to us!" She huffed angrily before flopping down on her large bed.

Impas chuckled before sitting next to her. "I agree, Zelda. I don't think we should cancel the Festival, especially when it is only a few hours away. But you're still a child, Zelda; you need to have more respect for your elders."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I'm fourteen, Impa. I'm not a little kid anymore. And I can't keep sitting around doing nothing. I'm the princess, I should be preparing to rule the kingdom, not be treated like some helpless little girl."

At this, Impa laughed. She put her hand on Zelda's shoulder lovingly before saying, "Zelda, you are hardly helpless, and you are hardly a little girl. You are the smartest girl I have ever met, by far; You excell in your studies, you are a knowledgeable in politics as your father, and you even have a grasp on advanced magic. You will grow to be a fine queen one day."

Zelda smiled warmly at her caretaker before hugging her tightly. Impa was always there for Zelda, always treating her with love, care, kindness, and respect. Impa was like family to Zelda, and she didn't know what she would do without the elderly Sheikah woman there.  
"Zelda," Impa whispered, causing Zelda to reluctantly break their hug. The elderly woman then pointed to the doorway, where none other than Zelda's father, King Sopranus, stood.

He was a middle aged man of average height and weight, though he often looked much larger due to his large green cape, which billowed around him like a massive green cloud. His shoulder length sandy hair was curled prestinely, as was his long and regal beard. Upon his head was his crown, a beautiful object of glittering gold, adorned with every jewel possible. His features were weathered, though he almost always wore a warm smile upon his face.  
He walked into the room and sat down next to Impa and his daughter. Giving a small smile, he looked at Zelda and said, "Zelda, I understand why you got so upset. You hate the idea of cancelling the Festival, and honestly, you weren't alone. The rest of my advisors, as well as myself, unanimously agreed to keep the Festival open."

Zelda's eye widened and she turned to look at her father. "Really?"

Sopranus smiled his signature smiled before replying, "Of course. No one else even considered cancelling the Festival, and even Agahnim relented fairly quickly upon realising how important it was to our culture."

Zelda snorted, "That's a first."

Sopranus frowned at his daughter. "Zelda, I don't see why you despise him so much. He's been one of my most trusted advisors for the past ten years. It's not like he's done anything harmful to our kingdom."

Again, Zelda snorted. "I don't trust him, Father. He's always acting as though he rules the kingdom, and not you. He acts as though he's some kind of saint, and yet he constantly proposes dangerous and potentially disastrous measures." Zelda stopped hastily, before hesitantly continuing. "I just... I don't think he's as great of a person as you think he is, Father."

Sopranus smiled at his young daughter's intellect; she was much smarter than he was at her age, and far more caring. "It'll be fine, Zelda," Sopranus assured her, before rising off the bed. "Now, I need to prepare for the festivities. I'll see you when the Festival starts." With that, he kissed his daughter on her forehead and gave a kind nod to Impa before making his way back to his own quarters.

"Well then," Impa said, also rising. "I'd best be leaving too. even an old Sheikah like me needs to look nice for a Festival like this." Zelda gave bright smile at this, and nodded. With one last smile at Zelda, Impa turned and headed out the door.

"Well then," Zelda sighed, finally getting off her bed and walking toward her closet. "I suppose I ought to get ready myself."

* * *

Meanwhile, sitting in his chambers, a cloaked figure observed as the Festival was being set up. His red eyes burned with ambition and malice. Behind the cloth that hid his face, a villainous smile grew across his face.

"That fool of a king defied my request," The man muttered to himself. Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind the figure, ominous and mysterious.

"It does not matter, Agahnim," the shadow replied, its deep voice little more than a whisper in the wind. "I'm sure this will only making finding the Seven Maidens even easier. Then our plans can begin."

The figure known as Agahnim chuckled before responding. "Soon you will be freed, my king. Soon, this world will once again feel the wrath of Ganon, the King of Darkness."

* * *

**So here is the beginning. Sorry about the short, and frankly abrupt, ending. I was kind of struggling towards the end there. A few things about this story now that the chapter is over; First, I know Castle Town doesn't show up in A Link to the Past, but I thought it would be weird if it was just a random castle, in the middle of nowhere. Also, the Festival is kind of random, but it serves a purpose that will be shown in the next chapter.****And I know people are gonna be confused by my depiction of Impa, so I'll just say it now; she's the Impa from the old Zelda games. You know, the one who looks like an old and decrepit woman rather than a badass warrior. Don't worry though, Impa's still gonna have an important role in the story. **

**Finally, I'll discuss the names. I know Phillip isn't that great of a name for Link's dad, but I named him after Phillip of Macedon. Since many people who read this won't know who that is, he was the father of Alexander the Great. Much like Phillip of Macedon, he is a great hero who is nonetheless completely outshined by his son. As for Zelda's father, King Sopranus, he was named pretty randomly. I thought Daltus, who is her father in a few other games, sounded a bit like Alto, which is a type of singer. Soprano is another type, and that's where I got that. So... yeah.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Hopefully, I can get the next chapter up quickly. Reviews are always appreciated.**

**Until Next time, Take my hand and let's swan dive toward adventure!**

**~The Supreme~**


	2. Chapter 1: The Festival

Chapter 1: The Festival

**Hey folks! I'm sorry, I was going to update yesterday, but my Great Grandma's funeral was yesterday... Yeah, it was depressing (Why do I always try update around the time of a funeral? It's bizarre, really) Anyway, I'm sorry if this chapter feels dragged out; I wanted to get most of the Festival in. Anyway, thank you everyone who has read! I'm so happy I have people who are reading this! I greatly appreciate your support! Anyway, on with the show! **

Zelda walked down the steps of the Castle in a hurry. The Festival of Hyrule was always her favorite time of the year. The people were happy and festive, the food was delicious, the music was wonderful, and the very air seemed alive with joy. Impa and her father followed closely behind, smiling as they watched Zelda excitedly run to the town square.

"Now, Zelda," Sopranus called out to his daughter, causing her to turn to face him. "Remember, at the end of the night, you must join me to light the ceremonial candles. I want to be back by then. But until then, go and enjoy the Festival."

Zelda nodded vigorously, a bright smile on her face. She then turned and ran off toward a nearby food stand that was selling delicious pastries.

Impa turned to face Sopranus, her expression soon turning serious. "You give her a lot of freedom, your highness."

"She needs her freedom, Impa. She is young woman." Sopranus argued, not taking his eyes off his daughter.

"She is also the princess of Hyrule." Impa retorted, giving him an annoyed glare. "It is dangerous to let her go out on her own so much, Sopranus."

"What would you have me do, Impa?" Sopranus questioned, giving her a stern look. At this Impa fell silent. She knew all too well how serious the king was when it came to Zelda. "She deserves to live a normal life. Besides, how would you feel if your father constantly kept you under watch, and refused to give you responsibility?"

"She is not just some random teenage girl, Sopranus," Impa said angrily, scowling deeply. "And she's not just the princess either. Sooner or later, she will realise she is one of the Seven Maidens, and so will our enemies. Dark powers are rising, and it is very likely they will try to use Zelda and the Maidens to take over this land. We must be careful."

Sopranus sighed heavily before nodding. "I know, Impa.I already have my guards alerted to try to root out this evil, but I fear it may be for naught. We don't even know what this evil entails, or who could possibly be behind it. I only hope we can find these dark powers before they can get to Zelda."

Impa looked at him with a sad smile, before placing her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, your highness. We will manage to overcome this evil. I'm sure of it."

At this, Sopranus turned to look at Zelda again, before muttering, "I hope so, Impa. I truly do."

* * *

"So, Link, are you enjoying the Festival so far?" Uncle asked as Link tossed him a pastry, which he quickly proceeded to scarf down.

"Of course!" Link responded, completely amazed by the many sights and sounds of the Festival. Only moments before, Link had been playing an archery game and won fifty rupees from hitting a bullseye. Before that, he and Uncle had watched as a troup of actors reenacted a famous Hylian fairytale, _The Sky Dragon's Child. _It was a wonderful tale about a magic dragon who lived in the clouds with his child, when one day his child ventured down to the surface and got lost. The sky dragon then went on a lost, dangerous quest to rescue his child from a demon.

But Link's favorite part of the Festival was the fact that he got to see and meet a whole bunch of interesting people. He met a crazy old man rambling on about killer cuccoos, and later even met a witch. At first he thought she was crazy and half expected her to be mean and dangerous, but soon found out she was actually friendly and funny, if a little eccentric. About an hour ago, Link had even seen his friend Gnat trying to catch butterflies.

Gnat was a young boy about Link's age who lived in Kakariko, a large village just west of Castle Town. Gnat was goofy kid, his messy brown hair often a nest for spiders, and his clothes often a treasure trove of insects and bugs. Gnat was fascinated with insects, and almost every free moment the boy would be out looking for grasshoppers or searching for ant hills. Link spent a while helping Gnat look for new bugs before returning to his uncle, but it was nice to see his old friend.

Link continued to walk with Uncle, listening as a catchy tune was being played by a band not too far from them. Suddenly, Link bumped into someone. As he looked up to see who he had ran into, he heard his uncle laugh in recognition.

"Sahasrahla! It has been ages since I've seen you!" Uncle shouted as he hoisted the elderly man to his feet. Link got up himself and was surprised to see the elderly man in front of them.

Sahasrahla was the elder of Kakariko, and one of the wisest men in all of Hyrule. He was often locked in his house, trying to discern some new puzzle or figure out some mystery. It was rare to see the old man anywhere, so it was a sure surprise that he was here at the Festival of all places.

"It's good to see you two, Link, Demetrius," Sahasrahla replied, a warm smile brimming under his white beard. Sahasrahla and Uncle were old friends, as Uncle grew up in Kakariko and was mentored by Sahasrahla in his youth. He often travelled back to his hometown, and would always pay a visit to Sahasrahla's house to catch up and talk about the good old days.

"I told you, I don't like being called Demetrius," Uncle said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. At this Sahasrahla chuckled, before ruffling Uncle's hair like he would a young child's.

"Come now, Demetrius," he teased, "I've known you since you were a kid. I think I call you by your name if I want." Uncle grumbled a bit to himself but otherwise did not argue. Link laughed at this. He had always thought of Sahasrahla as a grandfather type figure, and how he and Uncle acted around each other only added to that.

"Sorry about running into you, Sahasrahla," Link apologised, but the elder simply waved his hand dismissively.

"Nonsense, Link," he assured. "I wasn't watching where I was going either. Besides, I was hoping to see you and Demetrius, so it was well worth it." Suddenly he snapped his fingers in surprise. "I just remembered!" He cried, "I brought you a gift, Link!"

He reached into his knapsack, which hung from his cane, and pulled out a floppy green hat. "My wife was thoughtful enough to make you hat; she remembered you saying how you loved the color green, and just wanted to make you something." Link was surprised, to say the least. He very rarely ever got gifts, except from Uncle, but it always seemed that Sahasrahla and his wife Elsa were ready to give him some thoughtful present.

He graciously accepted it, and immediately put it on. "How do I look?" he asked, showing his uncle and Sahasrahla. The two immediately grinned and nodded.

"I can't imagine you wearing anything else," Uncle stated, patting Link on the head. He then turned to Sahasrahla and said, "Say, I need to discuss something with you. Do you have time?"

Sahasrahla nodded and said, "Of course." He then looked at Link. He knew whatever it was Demetrius wanted to talk about it was likely important, and the last thing they wanted were young eavesdroppers. "Say Link," the elder said in a casual tone, "I'm sure the last thing you want to do is listen to some boring old folk talk while the Festival is going on. Go on, have fun." He waved for Link to go.

Link knew the two men were trying to get rid of him, but left anyway. After all, they were right; Why would he want to listen to them talk when the festival was going on. He immediately ran over by a stand selling fancy trinkets, leaving Sahasrahla and his uncle to discuss their matters.

"So what is it, Demetrius?" Sahasrahla asked in a serious voice.

Demetrius' smile faded instantly and he let out an exhausted sigh. "I'm sure you've noticed the increase in the Moblin attacks recently. They used to be scattered, random raids, but now they are cohesive, coordinated attacks."

Sahasrahla nodded gravely. "I know. They have grown in both number and intelligence. It feels like a dark force is manipulating them."

"I agree," Demetrius said with a nod. "Not only that, but I've heard rumors that the guards are searching for the Seven Maidens, and that there is a reward for any information on them or anyone who has information on the Golden Land."

"What purpose does the king want with the Seven Maidens?" Sahasrahla asked, a look of confusion on his face. "After all, I thought he was the who wanted them to remain hidden."

"He did," Demetrius responded, casting a look at the large castle looming behind them. "I fear whatever dark power is responsible for the recent rise in monster attacks is working from within the castle." Sahasrahla's frown only deepened at this.

"Whatever this person is planning," Sahasrahla muttered, "He or she must be after the Golden Power, and plans to use the Maidens to accomplish this goal." He sighed heavily before asking, "What should we do, Demetrius?"

For a long while, Demetrius was silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was little more than a whisper, and his tone was filled with foreboding. "I fear that whatever plan we make, it may be too late to stop this dark power. It is not unlikely they have already found out the identities of the Maidens and are already preparing to capture them as we speak. I say that for now, we try to find the identity of this dark power, and try to defeat him before he can accomplish whatever it is he is planning to do."

Sahasrahla nodded, his expression softening. He then whispered, "What about Link?" At this, Demetrius was startled. He then looked back at Link, who was by now over by the collection of weapons on display.

"He is a special boy, Sahasrahla," Demetrius said, and though he tried to mask it, he could not hide the pride in his voice. "I hope we can keep him out of this, but if it happens that he gets involved, he may be the greatest hope we have."

Sahasrahla smiled and nodded, remaining silent. He didn't need to say any more. Link was certainly a special boy. Of that, there was no doubt.

* * *

Zelda had been enjoying the Festival for a few hours now. She had played a few games, eaten some sweets, danced to some festive music, and even took a ride on a ferry that giving out rides to customers. She still had about an hour until the candle ceremony, so she decided to go investigate a large crowd that had gathered by a stage.

To her surprise, it was a sword arena. Two men stood a feet apart on top of the large stage, holding wooden swords and wearing leather padding. As the two men continued to fight, Zelda couldn't help but watch in fascination. Despite being a princess, and often being judged as some fancy, classy lady, Zelda held a great amazement for swordplay. She often watched as her father's guards practiced in the training field, and even took a few lessons herself, to learn the basics. She wasn't very good, but still, she loved the sport and was always keen to watch a good sword fight.

Eventually, one of the men was beaten, and the winner triumphantly raised his fist to the crowd who cheered loudly.

A short man suddenly got up on the stage, wearing a gaudy outfit that implied he was the manager of the swordfights. "People, we have our current champion!" the crowd cheered in response. The short man smiled and continued. "If anyone would like to take on the champion, feel free; there is a prize of 200 rupees to whoever can best this great swordman!"

Several men instantly sprang up to challenge the man, only for each one to be defeated rather easily. No one seemed to be much of a challenge to the guy. It carried on for a few more minutes, until a shocking surprise quieted down the entire crowd.

"I'll fight him!" came the confident cry. This wasn't a very surprising declaration, as most of the men who had the champion were fairly confident in their abilities. What was surprising about this challenger, however, was the fact that he was just a kid. He looked to be about Zelda's age, wearing a green tunic and a floppy green cap. His light brown hair fell messily in face, and his blue eyes shined with determination.

Much of the crowd instantly began to protest, claiming that he was just a kid, and that he could get killed. Both the champion and the manager were hesitant to allow the boy to fight. However, the boy was adamant, and reluctantly, they relented, handing the boy the sword and strapping the padding on him. The pads were slightly big on him, and he looked pretty short compared to the champion, but his face brimmed with such confidence that Zelda was actually convinced he was going to win.

"Alright," The manager shouted, waving a red flag in the air, "Begin!" Instantly, the two swung their swords, their blades colliding with each other. Instantly, the two apart, and the boy swung horizantly at the champion's legs. The champion dodged swiftly, sidestepping the attack and swinging downward at the kid's head. The boy rolled to the side, causing the champion to hit the stage, leaving him wide open. The boy swung his sword at the champion's arm, hoping to disarm him, but the champion managed to deflect the strike with his blade at the last second.

Once again taking the offensive, the champion swung his blade several times at the boy, each swing quick and precise. Each time the boy managed to deflect the champion's strike. The champion was clearly surprised; none of his opponents before were this challenging, and this was just a kid. He gripped his blade in both hands, tensing his body, then swung the blade with his full strength at the boy's body. The boy brought up his own sword and, in a shocking move, blocked the champion's swing.

The crowd was awestruck. This kid couldn't have been older than 14, yet he had just managed to block an extremely powerful swing from a master swordsman and even seemed to be holding off the champion's strength. The boy and the champion's sword remained locked, and no matter how much the champion tried to push down on the boy, the boy continued to resist.

Suddenly, just as the champion applied more strength, the boy leaned back, removing his blade from the champion's. The champion's momentum forced him forward, and the boy gave a confident smile as he sidestepped the champion, letting him crash to the ground. As the champion laid there, the boy poked his foe in the back, ending the fight and gaining victory.

The crowd was completely silent. To say they were shocked would be a massive understatement. This young boy had not only just beaten a master swordsman, he had seemed to do so fairly easily. How could a kid be that good with a blade? To everyone's surprise, the champion soon got up and began chuckling.

"That was quite the thrashing you gave me, kid," he said, a smile on his face. He offered his hand to the boy, who respectfully shook it. He gave the boy a curious look. "Say," he asked, "Aren't you Demetrius' boy?"

"Yes, sir," the boy quietly replied, looking a bit nervous. "I'm his nephew, Link."

At this, the champion laughed. "Well no wonder I lost then!" he said lightheartedly. "Demetrius definitely taught you well," he continued, giving Link a serious smile. "You should be proud."

Link nodded and gratefully replied, "I am, sir. Thank you." At this, the champion only shook his head.

"No, thank you, Link," he replied, his grin still plastered to his face. "I haven't fought an opponent as good as you since your uncle Demetrius. Thanks for giving this old soldier a good fight, kid." With that, the champion dropped down from the stage and walked off with a surprising amount of happiness for a man who had just been beaten by a young boy.

"So," the manager shouted, ending the silence with his enthusiastic voice, "would anyone like to challenge our new champion?" To the manager's surprise, no one seemed to be willing to get up and face the young boy. After all, he did just beat a master with relative ease. It was doubtful anyone would have the nerve to face the boy.

"I'll give it a try," a sheepish voice called out. The crowd turned in shock to look at the source of the voice. If Link's challenge was a shock, this was even more surprising; the source of the voice was none other than Zelda.

"Princess?" the manager asked hesitantly. He had already been reluctant to let Link fight, there was no way he was gonna let the princess get injured. "Are you sure-"

"Yes, I am sure, sir," Zelda said in a slightly annoyed voice. "I want to fight."

The manager was even more reluctant to let her fight now, but what could he do? She was the princess, and if she wanted to participate in this sword match, she would, whether he wanted her to or not.

Sighing, the manager nodded and relented. At this, Zelda beamed, and quickly put on the padding and grabbed the sword. She turned to face Link, her smile not leaving her face. "Ready?" she asked him as she raised her sword.

To be honest, Link wasn't ready at all. He had honestly not been expecting any one else to challenge him, much less a girl. Not only that, but she was the princess. How could he just stand there and attack the princess. Couldn't you be jailed for that?

As if reading his thoughts, Zelda's smile faded, replaced by a look of determination. "Don't worry," she said, her voice firm, "I'm ready for whatever you've got. Don't hold anything back!"

Link didn't even have time to respond, as Zelda instantly charged at him, swinging her sword at his head. Link quickly deflected her blade of his, only for her to jab her blade at his chest. He stepped back, refusing to counter attack. He didn't want to hurt her. She swung at him several more times, to which he either dodged or deflected her attacks, keeping on the defensive.

He quickly realised her style was very fluid and quick, focused on quick slashes and sharp jabs. Link was surprised by how familiar she was with a sword. It was obvious she had been trained in the basics of swordplay. Link was impressed; she wasn't some 'dainty' princess that couldn't handle herself. This princess was surprisingly vicious.

"Not gonna fight back?" Zelda grunted as her strike was once again blocked. "I told you not to hold back!" Link was surprised by how much passion was in her voice. She really wanted him to fight back.

"You sure, princess?" Link asked, still hesitant on actually swinging a sword, even just a wooden one, at a member of the royal family.

"YES!" Zelda shouted as she swung her blade at Link's chest. Link caught her blade with his own, and successfully managed to push her back.

Before Zelda could react, Link swung his blade at her chest, finally going onto the offensive. Surprised, Zelda stepped back to avoid the strike. Link immediately went into a flurry of strikes and slashes, Zelda barely had time to counter. She was quickly forced onto the defensive, not having time to even return a strike of her own. She could tell Link was a far better swordsman than she was; it was surprising he hadn't even finished her off yet.

Then it hit her; he wasn't trying to hit her. He was still hesitant to actually hit her, and was hoping to force her off the stage or for her to slip up. That thought angered her, and she immediately intercepted his blade with hers, locking their blades as she tried to push him back. Yet despite all of her determination, she could not budge him, and in fact, she could feel herself being pushed toward the edge of the stage.

Suddenly, she freed her blade and sidestepped away from Link; the same tactic Link had used on the champion before. As Link stumbled forward, Zelda smiled in triumph as she stabbed at Link's exposed back.

Time seemed to slow down; Just before Zelda's blade could hit Link's back, he spun on his heel, swinging his blade in a powerful arc. The sheer force of the spin attack knocked Zelda off her feet. Groaning, she looked up to see Link looking at her with an impressed expression on his face. He held out his hand, and she reluctantly took it as he hoisted her up.

"That was one nasty trick," Zelda grumbled as she rubbed her shoulder. Instantly, Link felt guilty. He hoped he didn't hurt her; The king would have his head if he did.

Noticing his concerned expression Zelda gave him a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't look so concerned. I'm a tough girl, I can handle a little bruising." Link returned her smile and offered her a hand, which she immediately shook.

"I"m Link, by the way," Link introduced himself.

"Princess Zelda," Zelda returned.

"Well, that was one entertaining fight!" the manager called, bringing them back to reality. The crowd had begun to disperse a little by now, and Link decided he ought to get back to his uncle and Sahasrahla. Link accepted his prize money and began to walk off. Before he could, however, Zelda stopped him.

"Hey, wait!" she called as Link began to walk away. As he turned around, Zelda looked at him nervously, a hopeful look in her eye. "I was wondering if you would like to join me for a while."

Link was kind of surprised that the princess wanted to hang out with him. After all, didn't he just beat her in a sword fight? Shouldn't she be angry with him?

"I mean, it's okay if you have other things to do, but I was just wondering, since I'd rather not be alone, and would like some company. You don't have to though-"

"It's fine, Princess," Link said, giving a small chuckle. For a tough princess, she seemed to be difficult in social situations. "I was just surprised is all," Link explained, "I figured you'd be mad, considering I just beat you in that sword fight."

Zelda snorted. "Please," she said casually, "I'm not one to be a sore loser. Besides," she gave Link a small smile, "That was fun. You've got to teach me that spin attack you did."

Link chuckled as he sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Honestly, there isn't much to teach," Link admitted with a shrug. "You just have to have balance and strength, and just spin and swing your sword at the same time."

Zelda smiled before noticing a small stand behind Link. "Hey, there's a target practice game over there!" she called as she grabbed Link and pulled him with her toward the stand.

Link couldn't help but smile as he was pulled toward the stand. He was starting to like this odd little princess. At the same time, Zelda hid her blush from Link's

view. She couldn't help but like this farm boy.

* * *

As Link and Zelda explored the rest of the festival, a group of six girls sat together a ways away, busy in a heated discussion. The girls each wore a different colored dress, and overall appeared very different from one another in most respects.

"Do you think he has figured out who we are yet?" One of the girls asked nervously, worry in her blue eyes. She wore a royal blue dress, and her shoulder length black hair was tied in a small ponytail behind her head. She looked the youngest of the group, appearing about 8 years old, yet seemed to possess wisdom beyond her years.

"I'm not sure, but it is very possible," The girl next to her said in a calm voice. She wore a regal white dress, and wore a silver tiara on her short sandy hair. She was the oldest one among them, about 19 years old. Her lavender eyes looked stoically at the girls around her. "I think we should be very careful that we are not discovered. It would be extremely dangerous."

"I'm still not sure what we are so worried about," another one of the girls stated casually. She wore a simple red dress and had messy brown locks that hung in front of her brown eyes. "We're supposed to have great magical powers, right? Then why should we be afraid of some dark wizard."

The girl in the white dress glared at her. "It's not that simple, Ruby," she said in annoyed voice. "This wizard is obviously extremely powerful; If we were to fight him, we would undoubtedly lose." At this, Ruby's smirk instantly vanished. The girl in the white dress continued. "We need to bide our time; Only the power of the Master Sword can repel this evil."

The girl in the blue dress gave another worried look. "But isn't the Master Sword hidden in the Lost Woods?" she asked, the worry only growing in her eyes. "How could anyone get the Master Sword from there?"

"Don't worry, Sapphire," another one of the girls, this one wearing a yellow dress replied with an unusual amount of optimism. "Remember what the legends say? The chosen hero of the Goddesses will find the Master Sword and use it to banish the evil."

"Aura is right." the white dressed girl reminded, calling the girls back to attention. "We need to find out who the chosen hero is. Once we find him, we can help him face this evil and restore peace to Hyrule."

"But Opal," Ruby interjected, "How will we even tell who this hero is? He could be anybody."

"I know!" One of the girls, this one wearing a short green dress, shouted excitedly. "We should ask Sahasrahla!" Opal immediately shook her head.

"That's not a good idea," Opal reasoned, " Even if Sahasrahla knows who the hero is, he won't tell us. He'll probably try to hide us away, so we can't be captured by the dark wizard."

"Well," the last girl, this one wearing a lavender dress, responded stoically. "It would make sense. It is dangerous for us to be out and about, and if the dark wizard catches us, he'll more than likely use us to take control of the Golden Power." the others girls nodded in agreement, and looked expectantly at Opal.

"I hate it when you make sense, Crystal," Opal muttered before sighing. "I suppose if we are all agreed, then we'll go to Sahasrahla and see if he can help us."

"Emerald and I should go look for him," Aura said, grabbing her companion in the green dress.

"Yes,"Opal agreed. "In the meantime, The rest of us should find the final Maiden; it is likely she will be key in our fight against the dark wizard."

The rest of the girls nodded before quickly separating. As they went their separate ways, however, none of them noticed the dark figure who had been looming in the background during their entire conversation.

"So, I've finally found the Maidens..."

* * *

**Yeah, I'm sorry if it was kind of... eh. I know, it dragged on forever, and not much happened, but most of this was for establishing characters and such. So, the first thing I'd like to point out was Link's friend Gnat; I know it's a weird name, and you probably thought he was just some random OC, but I actually based him off the bug catching boy who gives you the net in the game. I named him Gnat because...yeah bug reference. I also introduced Sahasrahla, basically the Yoda of A Link to the Past. And as for Uncle's name, I have no idea why I called him Demetrius, it just randomly popped into his head. Finally, the Six Maidens. They don't have names in the game, so I just made up names for them. I tried to name them after gems, but I couldn't think of a yellow gemstone, so I named the girl in the yellow dress Aura. **

**Alright, I'll try to update soon. Thanks for reading my story! Review, or else I'll think of extremely creative ways to torture you until you do.**

**Until Next Time, take my hand and let's swan dive toward adventure!**

**~The Supreme~**


	3. Chapter 2: The Festival Concludes

Chapter 2: The Festival Concludes

**Hey Folks! I finally managed to update after over a week of delaying and procrastinating. However, I DID have college to attend, and since that stuff is extremely busy and time consuming (But still a great place), I hope you forgive me for the delay. Anyway, thank you Jaakuna Hebi for reviewing the last chapter. You get a cookie. Maybe if other people would review, they would get cookies too... But I digress. Anyway, On with the show!**

* * *

Zelda and Link had been wandering around the Festival for almost an hour and, to both Link and Zelda's surprise, they enjoyed each other's company. They ate at a number of exotic stands, played a number of silly Festival games, and even tried horseback riding. However, Zelda found herself terrible at riding her horse, almost instantly falling off her horse. Link, however found himself a natural horseman, easily riding up and down the track and never once falling from his horse. Zelda and Link left the horse stables, Link satisified with his performance while Zelda grumbled under her breath about "stupid horses".

Link learned Zelda was a talented harpist, and even convinced her to play a tune. She was reluctant at first, but Link could tell Zelda enjoyed playing. She even sang to the melody, and to her surprise, a large group of people had gathered by the end of her song. They begged her to play another song, and Link could tell the princess liked that her music was appreciated. She eventually relented, playing another song.

This song, however was far different from the song before. The song before was a quick, upbeat song that felt like it came out the forest. This new song she played was slower, more dramatic, yet filled with love and warmth. It felt like a lullaby, sung to children as they slept. Slowly, Zelda added her voice to the song:

"A child is born

Of the Goddesses,

Born to be a hero of us all.

He will watch the world,

As the evil returns,

Yet he will rescue us all."

Zelda's voice began to pick up, rising with the chords of her melody. Soon, the song was a loud, triumphant harmony.

"Look, I can see him now!

Look as he saves us all!

Look as he fights for us!"

Zelda slowly returned to the slow beat she had started with, her voice quiet and slow once more.

"A child is born

Of the Goddesses,

Born to be a hero of us all.

Evil will come,

and it will try to win,

But the hero will fight and save the world..."

Zelda's voice ceased, and her melody came to an end. Around her, the crowd was awestruck by the beauty of her song. The crowd burst into applause, leaving Zelda stunned. She had honestly only ever played her harp around her father, Impa, and a few of her servants. She wasn't expecting to be very good, much less receive a chorus of approval from the people.

Next to her, Link smiled brightly. "That was amazing, Princess!" The genuine excitement in his eyes made Zelda almost burst with joy.

"You really thought I was good?" Zelda asked, almost unsure. "I mean, I don't practice very often, and-"

"Yes, your fantastic!" Link cut her off, his smile not leaving his face. "I have never heard anyone play as well as that. Not to mention your singing."

Zelda's face reddened as she nervously replied, "You liked my singing?" She had always been told by Impa that her voice was the most beautiful voice she had ever heard, but she rarely believed her. To Zelda, her voice sounded like a croaking frog, or dying rabbit, perhaps.

Link nodded. "I loved your singing. You are really talented, Princess."

At this, Zelda desperately fought off the blush she felt creeping onto her cheeks. She felt her heart flutter. Why did she feel so awkward all of a sudden? She had just met Link today, yet she felt... connected to him. There was something pulling her toward him.

Shoving those thoughts out of her head, Zelda gave a bright smile. "Thanks, Link. And you don't have to keep calling me Princess; just call me Zelda."

Link nodded and said, "Alright, Zelda." Again, Zelda felt her heart flutter.

Before anything else could happen, however, they both heard a voice call out, "Princess Zelda!" Turning, the two were shocked to see a pair of young ladies walking toward Zelda. One was fairly tall and appearing to be 18 or 19 years old. She wore a long, regal white dress, and upon her head was a silver tiara. Her long, braided sandy hair flowed down her back, and her lavender eyes shined with knowledge.

The girl next to her was slightly shorter, and looked about 15. She wore a simple lavender dress, which looked almost casual next to the regal white dress of her companion. Her waist length black hair was tied in a ponytail, and her blue eyes calmly observed Link as she made her way to Zelda.

"Crystal, Opal!" Zelda cried joyously as she ran over and hugged them. They returned the hug, smiling warmly. "I haven't seen you two in days," Zelda said, "Where have you two been?"

"We've been busy," Opal, the girl in the white dress, responded simply, leaving Zelda to pout.

"That's not much of an excuse," she grumbled, leading Opal and Crystal to chuckle at the princesses antics. Crystal's eyes suddenly landed on Link, and she turned to Zelda.

"So who is your friend?" Crystal, the girl in the lavender dress, asked, expressionless.

Zelda suddenly seemed to remember Link was there and blushed slightly. "Oh, that's right!" Zelda said before turning to Link. "This is my new friend Link," Zelda said as she pulled him toward Opal and Crystal. "Link, this is Opal and that's Crystal," Zelda pointed to each girl.

"We're Princess Zelda's loyal servants," Crystal stated simply, to which Zelda gave her a stern look.

"I told you guys," Zelda complained, "You two are like sisters to me; You aren't my servants."

Opal smiled at this. "We may be like your sisters, but we are still part of your staff." Zelda just shook her head at this, muttering under her breath.

Next to her, Link chuckled. "I'm assuming you get into these arguments often?" he asked, amused.

"Yes, quite often," Crystal stated before glancing up at the clock that stood in the middle of the square. "Princess, it is almost time for the Candle Ceremony. I'm afraid we must go."

Zelda pouted. "But I was just starting to have fun." Crystal gave her a stern look, however, and Zelda reluctantly gave in. "Fine," she sighed, before turning to Link. "Sorry, Link, but I have to participate in the Candle Ceremony."

Secretly, Link was just as disappointed; Zelda was actually a really fun person to be around. Yet he swallowed his disappointment and gave her a reassuring smile. "No worries, Zelda; I should probably get back to my Uncle anyway. Hopefully I'll see you around after the Festival." Link added the last part hopefully. He didn't what it was compelling him to want be around Zelda, but something was pulling him toward her.

With a last wave, Zelda followed Crystal and Opal back toward the square where the Candle Ceremony was about to be held. As she walked away, Zelda gave an angry look at Crystal and Opal.

"What the heck, you two?" Zelda hissed. "I was having fun. Did you really have to spoil the party?"

At this, Opal chuckled. "Well," she said knowingly, "it sounds to me like Princess Zelda has a crush." She chuckled again upon seeing Zelda's red face.

"I do not!" Zelda protested quickly. "I just met Link today. How could I like a guy who I barely know?"

"Love at first sight," Crystal responded simply, shrugging. Opal nodded, smirking smuggly.

Zelda glared at the two. "Let's just go," Zelda muttered, walking away from the two. Crystal and Opal followed behind, Opal still chuckling while Crystal continued to look stoically at her companions.

Zelda continued blush next to her friends. She barely knew Link; surely she couldn't like him, could she?

* * *

Link walked around the Festival for about five minutes before he managed to find his Uncle and Sahasrahla chatting with a pair of young girls. One of them was wearing a bright yellow dress, and was about Link's age. She had short blonde hair that reached her shoulders. Her sea green eyes sparkled with excitement as she talked, and her face was covered in a spray of freckles as she gave a cheeky grin.

The other girl was shorter than her companion, and wore a simple green dress, but aside from that was almost identical to the girl in the yellow dress. She had the same goofy grin on her face, and her hazel eyes shined with the same excitement as the other girl's. It was obvious the two girls were sisters, the girl in the green dress likely being about 3 years younger.

Link smiled as he recognised the two girls. "Aura! Emerald!" He shouted as he dashed over to the group. The two girls turned on their heels, their faces alight with delight as they noticed Link.

"Is that you, Link?" Aura, the one in the yellow dress, shouted as she ran over to Link, wrapping him a warm hug. Link eagerly returned the hug, happy to see his old friend.

Next to them, Emerald pouted. "I want a hug too, Link," she grumbled, causing both Link and Aura to laugh as they invited the younger girl into their hug. Link felt a moment of nostalgic joy as he recalled his first meeting with the two sisters.

_It was five years ago, and Uncle was getting ready for the harvest season at the farm. Link eagerly helped his Uncle; he had always been determined to prove how reliable and helpful he could be to his Uncle. As the two picked crops, they suddenly heard a russling from behind a group of bushes. _

_As Uncle went to inspect the bushes, a pair of little girls shot up from the bushes, startling Uncle. In a flash, they snatched up a bunch of the food that had just been harvested, taking as much food as they could carry. They made a dash for the road, hoping to escape with their stolen goods. However, before they could, Link managed to tackle them, stopping them before they could even react. _

_They soon figured out the two girls were poor beggars, and had only stolen to feed themselves. Both Link and Uncle felt bad; the girls weren't bad, just desperate. Link and Uncle then decided to help the girls out. Uncle let them stay at the house and work on the farm, on the condition they never steal from another person. The girls eagerly agreed, and since then Emerald and Aura were like family; they worked together, played together, and ate together. Emerald had even went so far as to start calling Uncle 'Papa', a nickname she still used for him to this day. _

_Aura and Emerald decided to move out about a year before, telling Uncle they didn't want to keep wasting his genorosity, and managed to find a small home in Kakariko to live in. Even so, the sisters still visited Link and Uncle constantly, still considering them their family. _

Link was interrupted from his memories by Emerald. "Where have you been, Link?" She asked. "We've been here with Papa and Sahasrahla for almost twenty minutes, and we were beginning to think you disappeared. Into thin air!" At the last part, she made a poof gesture with her hands.

Link chuckled slightly, looking at the young girl. "Don't worry, I was fine," He assured the girls. "I was part of sword tournament and-"

"You WHAT?!" Aura exclaimed, cutting him off. Link winced, realising his mistake; since they had known each other for so long, Aura had become extremely protective of Link, almost to the point of being motherly. "Why would you do something so dangerous? Were you hurt?"

"No," Link said quickly, trying his best to quell Aura's insecurities. "I actually managed to beat the champion." At this, Uncle and Sahasrahla turned in surprise.

"Thatta boy!" Uncle cheered, clapping Link on the back as Sahasrahla and Emerald nodded in agreement. However, the three were instantly quieted upon seeing Aura's death glare.

"That's not the point, Link,"Aura huffed. "You're still just a kid, and those sword fighters are professional soldiers. You can't just rashly challenge them!"

"Why not?" Uncle butted in, a proud smile on his face. "I have never seen a swordsman as good as he is at his age. Why, he'll become a better swordsman than me soon," he boasted, his proud smile only growing. Aura once again glared at him, silencing him.

"Relax, Aura," Link said in soothing voice, desperately hoping not to anger the girl further. "I only fought one other person after that, and that was Princess Zelda-"

"WHAT?!" This time, everyone shouted in surprise. Link fought the urge to hit himself in the head; bringing up that he had been swinging a sword at the princess of Hyrule was obviously not the smartest thing to say at the moment. And yet he did anyway.

"Hey," Link reasoned, hoping to defend himself, "She was the one who challenged me! I didn't want to fight her, but she made me. Besides, I didn't hurt her, she was fine. Me and Zelda were hanging out until five minutes ago."

Link didn't think it was possible, but he thought Aura looked even more furious at this. "YOU IDIOT, LINK!" She hollered, causing Link to flinch in fear. He may be one of the most gifted swordsmen in Hyrule, but that didn't mean Aura still didn't terrify him. She didn't say another word, and instead just stormed off, clearly finished dealing with Link.

"What just happened?" Emerald questioned, voicing everyone's thoughts at the moment. Link was thinking the very same thing. Aura should've been _happy _he didn't hurt Zelda. Why was she so furious? Uncle and Sahasrahla just stood there, knowing looks on their faces.

"Link," Uncle said gently, "You should apologize to Aura."

At this Link just stared at his Uncle, incredulous. "What did I do?" he demanded.

At this, Sahasrahla piped in. "Link," he said in his calm, wise voice, "Aura is very protective of you. You're practically a brother to her. How do you think she feels when you say you're fighting in sword fights and attacking the princess?"

At this, Link felt guilty. He didn't mean to worry her. That was the last thing he wanted. "Alright," he sighed, "I'll go apologize." With that, he quickly followed after Aura.

Link managed to catch up to Aura, and quickly stopped her. She gave him an irritated look and tried to shove past him; however, he grabbed her wrist, preventing her from walking away.

"What do you want?" she spat angrily. Link saw the anger in her eyes, but beneath that could see her worry for him. Link suddenly realized just how much Aura cared for him. He was like family to her; no wonder she was so protective of him. This brought a smile to Link's face, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a friendly hug, leaving Aura stunned.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Aura," Link whispered as he continued to embrace her. "I forgot how big of a worrywart you are sometimes." At this, Aura let out a giggle and playfully hit him.

"I am not a worrywart," She objected, though she gave a bright smile nonetheless. "I just worry about my family. You, Emerald, and Uncle are my family, and I'd hate for anything to ever happen to you guys."

Link returned her smile with his own. "Don't worry, Aura," He assured her, "I'll always be there for you and Emerald. You're my sisters; I wouldn't let anything happen to you guys."

And so Link and Aura continued to sit next to each other, glad to finally be back to their old selves again. Back to being a family.

* * *

King Sopranus stood proudly at the top of Castle Town square, announcing the end of the Festival. "I am pleased to announce that this year's Festival has been one of the finest I have ever seen!" The crowd burst into cheers of agreement, booming with shouts of joy and mirth.

Sopranus continued, his small smile growing broader as he motioned for one of his attendants. The attendant quickly rushed to his side, presenting him with a small candle, lit and burning brightly in the night. Next to him, Zelda was given a candle of her own, which she held reverently in her hands.

"It is with great honor," Sopranus continued with his speech, "That I and my daughter, Princess Zelda, do begin the great tradition of lighting the sacred candles. For those select few who are able to light one themselves, they will recieve good fortune for the rest of the year." Sopranus fell silent, and the crowd did the same. Sopranus bowed his head solemnly, before softly muttering a prayer: "Let the Goddesses bless us this year, and bring our people good tidings, and repel evil from this land. Long live Hyrule, and long live the Goddesses."

With his prayer finished, Sopranus turned and took a step toward the nearest candle. Zelda did the same, carefully holding her candle. Sopranus and Zelda then simultaneously lit their candles, the sacred candles bursting to life with the flames.

Immediately, people rushed forward, hoping to light a candle themselves. For most, it wasn't the good fortune that made them desire lighting the candle. It was the honor, the pride of lighting of the sacred candles on one of Hyrule's greatest Festivals.

The candles were burning with life, until one lone candle was left unlit. Many dashed for the candle, but the candle was quickly lit. The final candle had been lit by none other than Link. Link felt a burst of pride as he set the final candle alight, watching it burn with a beauty unmatched by any other fire. For some reason, Link could already feel the good fortune beginning to affect him. He had a feeling he was in for a good year.

Meanwhile, up in his quarters in Hyrule Castle, Agahnim scowled as he observed the Candle Ceremony take place. He had seen plenty of petty ceremonies that were said bring good fortune and great tidings. It was all petty nonsense meant to inspire false hope to the masses. As if a bunch of insignificant candles could affect a person's destiny. Agahnim believed in true Power, not some ancient pagan ritual.

"What a foolish endeavor," He decided as he spat contemptuously. Behind him, a low chuckle rang out.

"Of course," the dark voice agreed, clearly amused by the display before them. "But then again, Hyrule and its people have always needed some sort of hope to cling to, something to distract them from the harsh realities of life."

Agahnim smiled darkly at the voice's words. "But soon that won't matter, Master," Agahnim added, his features twisted into a sadistic grimace. "Soon the people of Hyrule will see your Power, and the Power of the Dark World itself!"

"No," the dark voice corrected, "They will soon see the Power of the Triforce!"

* * *

**So there's Chapter 2! I know, it was short, and not much happened, and the ending was abrupt, but still, it's the second chapter! Just give it a chance. A few things to note here:**

**The song in the beginning that Zelda sings is supposed to be Zelda's Lullaby, if you hadn't guessed. And, a little fun fact: Though most people think Zelda's Lullaby originated in Ocarina of Time, it actually originated in A Link to the Past; Yeah, I know it's useless trivia, but still.**

**And for those of you who would like to know, each of the Maidens that have been formally introduced so far are based off an existing character in the other Legend of Zelda games: ****Crystal is supposed to be kind of emotionless, factual, stoic, and frankly robotic, much like Fi. ****Aura is that old childhood friend of Link's that is constantly worrying about him and is more like a sister to him, kind of like Ilia. Plus, the whole rant she goes on was supposed to be like the one Ilia goes on when Epona gets hurt in the beginning of the game. ****Emerald is childish, excitable, and just the average happy kid, and is based off of Aryll. ****Opal is the only who wasn't really based off of anyone specifically, though she does take on the role of the loyal, responsible servant archetype.**

**And yes, the ending was very rushed. I know, but I thought I should end it quickly, and besides, I like ending things with Agahnim and Ga- I mean the dark voice. Because it's clearly a mystery who this dark evil is, right?**

**Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter. I'll try to update as soon as I can, but it may not be for another few weeks. Thank you those of you who have favorited and followed this story. I appreciate it so much. Read, review, and all that!**

**Until Next Time, take my hand and let's swan dive toward adventure!**

**~The Supreme~ **


	4. Chapter 3: The Dark Power

Chapter 3: The Dark Power

**Hey Guys, I'm back! Sorry for the slight delay, but like I say, I'm at school all day (wow that rhymed really bad). Plus, I've had quite a bit of homework, but I digress. Anyway, thank you, the two people who reviewed last chapter: Guest and SoulfulGinger. I really appreciate reviews, and if I don't get any, I might just lose it and destroy a small island, like Hawaii! So please, review, for Hawaii's sake. Anyway, On with the Show!**

* * *

It was close to 11:00 in the evening at Hyrule Castle, and the Festival had just ended about an hour ago. Inside her spacious royal bedroom, Princess Zelda lounged lazily on the edge of her bed. Opal and Crystal stood next to her bed, a light smile on the former's face as the young princess animatedly recounted her exciting evening. Zelda had just begun to recount her sword duel with Link, babbling breathlessly on as she fondly recalled the skirmish.

"...I knew he didn't want to fight me," Zelda rambled on, "But I wanted to prove to everyone that I'm not some weak little princess who can't handle herself. The manager obviously didn't want me to fight, but by that point I wasn't gonna let anything stop me from fighting."

"I don't think your father would approve of you participating in such a dangerous sport," Opal doted, taking a motherly tone. She knew Zelda had a rebellious streak and was surprisingly tomboyish for a princess, but she nevertheless lectured her anyway. She thought of Zelda as her own sister, and worried about her just as much as her own father.

"It's not like we were fighting with real swords, Opal," Zelda retorted as she dramatically rolled her eyes. "Besides, I think I gave Link a run for his money. I almost got him to trip up, but he did some fancy spinning attack and managed to get me." Just as Zelda finished saying this, she unconsciouslessly massaged her shoulder, still feeling the bruised tissue where Link had managed to hit her only a few hours before.

Crystal raised an eyebrow before stating, "You are rubbing your shoulder as if it pains you. I suspect that is the spot where Link managed to injure you." No sooner had she said this did she promptly pull back on the collar of Zelda's dress until her injured shoulder was revealed.

"Zelda!" Opal exclaimed, worry bursting from her like an explosion. Reluctantly, Zelda took a look in her mirror at her injured shoulder. As soon as she saw the bruise, she winced; just looking at it seemed to hurt even more. The bruise was a dark purple hue, the skin soft and tender. The bruise stretched from her collarbone to her armpit, and any movement she made seemed to only amplify the sore muscle. Though it didn't seem to be bleeding, there did appear to be pus oozing out of the wound, causing Zelda to nearly vomit at the sight of it.

"I do not believe it is anything serious," Crystal stated matter of factly as she walked toward Zelda's end table, "But I theorize you will be sore for several days." As she spoke, she began to search meticulously through the table's drawers, before grabbing a cluster of bandages and a simple healing potion.

Carefully, she handed the potion to Zelda as she wrapped the bandages around her bruised shoulder. Zelda winced as the bandages pressed against her tender skin. Next to her, Opal continued to watch Zelda in concern. Her face had only worry written on it, and it was clear she was shook up over Zelda's injury. Feeling guilty as she saw Opal's worried expression, Zelda forced a grin.

"Don't worry, Opal," Zelda reassured through gritted teeth, "It doesn't hurt so bad." However, Crystal tightened the bandages just as Zelda said this, causing Zelda to grimace in pain. Opal's brow furrowed, her concern only intensified now. Zelda immediately glared at Crystal, who stared at her innocently. "You didn't have to wrap them so tight, Crystal," Zelda said irritably.

"I assumed you would understand that I would need to tighten the bandages in order to seal the wound from any blood or pus that may escape the open wound," Crystal explained, her usual emotionless expression softening just a little after she said it. "I recommend you drink that potion immediately," she continued, gesturing toward the bottle Zelda still held tightly in her hand.

Nodding, Zelda eagerly plucked the cap off the bottle and poured the drink down her throat. Instantly, she could feel herself feel better, her sore muscles seemed to relax, the pain seeping away as though swept away by a soothing river. Zelda heaved a sigh, feeling peaceful as the pain washed away. Opal seemed to sense Zelda's relief, and breathed a sigh of her own. She gave a wide smile as she looked at the two girls.

"I never knew you were such a competent doctor, Crystal," Zelda complimented, giving the stoic girl a cheeky grin as she patted her on the shoulder. "I feel almost as good as new now."

Surprisingly, Crystal returned Zelda's grin with a small smile of her own. "Thank you, Zelda," Crystal said, "but your arm will still need a day or two to heal."

"I guess that means you won't be practicing your usual sword routines for a while then?" Opal questioned, her motherly nagging seeming to resurface. She chuckled lightly as noticed Zelda's genuinely disappointed expression.

However, both Opal and Crystal were caught off guard by Zelda's next words. "But I was hoping I could invite Link to the castle to help me practice my sword techniques." The look of disappointment in her eyes and the way she seemed to long for Link's company could mean only one thing.

"You have a crush on Link, don't you?" Opal asked slyly, smiling deviously when she saw Zelda's face turn as red as a cherry.

"What?!" Zelda sputtered, nervously looking away as she struggled to control her burning cheeks. "How can I like him? I only just met him today! Not to mention that nasty bruise he gave to me." However, Opal seemed unconvinced, smirking at the younger girl knowingly. Even Crystal seemed to find this amusing, a tiny smirk appearing on her face.

"Blushing, stumbling over your words, avoiding eye contact, and flustered behavior are all accurate indicators of one's infatuation with another person," Crystal stated as if she was listing the symptoms to a contagious disease. Zelda only blushed further, her face even redder as she glared at the older girls.

"How would you even know what infatuation is, Crystal?" Zelda retorted in an annoyed tone, clearly getting sick of the argument. "I've never even seen you show the slightest interest in a man, let alone an 'infatuation'." Zelda had hoped to get a reaction out of Crystal, but Crystal simply shrugged.

"I've never really found much appeal in a man before, I suppose," she stated simply. Zelda grumbled to herself as Opal chuckled and gently patted the princess' uninjured shoulder.

"We're only teasing, Zelda," Opal said with a tender, motherly tone. "It's just a little crush; you don't need to get worked up about it." She gave a reassuring smile to Zelda, whose incessant blushing had finally come to an end. Zelda managed a smile of her own. "And besides," Opal continued with a teasing tone, "I'm sure Link feels the same way about you as you do him."

Zelda groaned again, her cheeks flaring up yet again as she playfully shoved Opal, who laughed lightly. To her surprise, Zelda felt herself laugh along with her. Despite their occasional teasing, Opal and Crystal were always there for her, and she loved them for that. "You two aren't going to drop this, are you?" Zelda asked in a hopeful tone after she finally managed to calm her giggling. Opal and Crystal both shook their heads, teasing smiles lighting up their faces. Zelda mockingly rolled her eyes before speaking. "As much as you may want to pair me up with Link," Zelda firmly declared, "I just want to be friends with Link first."

"That's how it starts," Opal chuckled to herself, earning yet another groan from Zelda.

"Do I have to hit you?" Zelda threatened, playfully glaring at Opal. Opal held up her hands in mock surrender, but her teasing smirk remained.

"Fine, we'll drop it,"Opal gave in. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could say anything, she seemed to freeze. Her eyes widened, her face contorted into a look of pure, unshakeable fear. Her body was absolutely rigid, as if she were having a seizure, and her hands were tightly gripping the side of Zelda's bed.

Just as suddenly as the seizure began, however, it disappeared. The look of fear remained on Opal's face, yet she seemed to visibly relax and her body was no longer rigid. Both Crystal and Zelda looked at Opal with concern.

"Are you alright, Opal?" Zelda asked apprehensively. The fearful look on Opal's face disappeared quickly, but there was one thing Zelda knew for sure: Opal was _not _okay.

Opal quickly put on a composed face, as if she had not just seized up only moments ago. "I'm fine," she muttered, clearly disturbed by the event. She quickly glanced at Crystal, who met her look and seemed to understand, then turned to Zelda. "I'm sorry, Zelda," she apologized weakly, "But I think Crystal and I are probably going to be heading off to bed now." Crystal nodded in agreement and made their way toward the exit.

Zelda quickly got up from her bed. "Wait!" she cried. "You just went into shock a few seconds ago! You can't just shake that off!" Opal gave her a weak smile, as if to reassure her that everything was fine, but Zelda quickly stopped her. "What's really going on, Opal? There's something you're not telling me, and I can tell it's important!"

Opal sighed, but kept her hand on the door handle. "I wish I could tell you Zelda," she confessed in weak voice, "I truly do." Without another word, Opal left the room. Crystal turned to look at Zelda, giving her an apologetic look as she followed Opal out the door. With that, Zelda was left alone in her room, confused, worried, and hurt.

* * *

"We shouldn't have left Zelda without an explanation like that," Crystal argued yet again as she Opal returned to their shared quarters. It was a small room, but neat and orderly, thanks to Opal's obessive compulsive urge to keep everything in complete and absolutely order. However, the state of their room was the last thing on Opal mind as Crystal continued to lecture her about their abrupt exit.

"You know we can't explain the situation to her, Crystal," Opal responded, irritation in her voice. Why was Crystal being so hard headed and sensitive all of sudden. Under normal circumstances, Crystal was the most logical, analytical, emotionally detached person you'd ever know. So why did she have to pick _now _to start acting from her heart?

"Zelda's not an idiot, Opal," Crystal stated. "She knows something's up, and because we haven't told her anything yet, she is likely in even more danger."

Opal scowled at her before replying in a firm voice, "If we tell her about what's going on, she'll likely become the dark power's first target. I refuse to put her life in jepoardy, even if it means keeping her in the dark."

Crystal gave her a disapproving look. "She's not some innocent bystander who has nothing to do with this, Opal, and you know that. We need to tell her."

Opal sighed, but refused to back down. "You didn't have the premonition, Crystal," Opal spoke softly; it was clear the vision was still affecting her. "The dark power already knows who we are. He is ready to make his move on us, and it will be soon. We cannot afford to jeopardize Zelda, not when the dark power is so close to attacking."

Crystal gave Opal a sympathetic look, before gently deciding, "If we can't tell Zelda, we must at least warn the others. If we can act quick enough, we can prevent whatever the dark power is planning." Opal gave her a small smile before nodding.

"Alright," She agreed, "I'll tell them to meet with us as soon as possible." Crystal nodded, and turned to lock their bedroom door for the night. However, just as she touched the door handle, the door suddenly opened, revealing a mysterious figure, wearing a red cloak that covered his face. All that could be seen were his murderous red eyes, which gleamed with sadistic triumph.

"Oh, I agree," the dark figure hissed, chuckling darkly as he stepped into the room. Opal turned to see the figure, her eyes wide with horror. Crystal stared at him in fear as well, petrified by his appearance. "Come now," He said in mock offense, "No greeting? I'm disappointed. I had always thought the Seven Maidens would have much better manners."

He reached out to grab Crystal, but before he could, a burst of white magical energy smashed into his chest, sending him tumbling backward. He got to his feet, his eyes burning murderously as he glared at Opal, who threw another ball of energy at him.

However, this time the dark figure was prepared, and he caught the energy ball in midair. Opal's expression changed to horror and shock, and behind his cloak, the figure smiled darkly. "Now, that wasn't very civil, young Maiden," he chastised, tossing the ball back at Opal. It struck her in the chest, exploding harshly against her and sending flying like a ragdoll into the wall. she hit the floor, unconscious.

The figure turned to look at Crystal, who was still frozen in fear. "Do I frighten you?" he asked, reveling in the sheer terror he was bringing to his prey. "Does my dark power bring you nightmares?" He took another step forward, causing Crystal to quickly shuffle backward. At this, the figure cackled.

"And here I thought you were the rational, emotionless one. But I guess even the most stoic of creatures feel fear when cornered by a being of my Power." He made a sickening chuckle beneath his cloak as he continued to approach her. "But don't worry," he assured, caressing Crystal with his gnarled hands, "I won't kill you. No, I have something _much _more important for you and your friends, my precious Maiden." As he grabbed Crystal, he only asked one more question.

"Tell me," he asked in a low, dangerous whisper, "Where are the rest of the Maidens?"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Link and Uncle's house, Uncle was bickering with Aura and Emerald, trying to convince them to spend the night.

"We've told you, Uncle," Aura argued, continuing to deny his hospitality, "As much as we'd like to stay here, we need to be getting back home. It's nothing personal, you should know that."

Uncle simply waved his hand, dismissing her claims. "I don't care what you say, Aura," he replied, his stubborness taking over, "It's too late for you two to return home. It's an hour trip from here to Kakariko, not to mention it's dangerous with all the creatures that have been appearing recently. I insist you stay here for the night, you two."

Aura just groaned at this. Emerald, however, seemed much more obliged to accept than Aura. "I want to stay here, Papa!" Emerald enthusiastically shouted, earning her a glare from Aura. Link just chuckled at this, along with Uncle.

"Sorry, Aura," Link said in slightly smug voice, "Looks like you've been overruled." Aura just gave him a look, before groaning in defeat.

"Fine," she muttered dejectly, clearly more upset about losing the argument than about being forced to stay there. "I guess it isn't so bad," she admitted, earning a smile from Link and Emerald, and a chuckle from Uncle. "Besides," she added, a bit of her bright attitude coming out, "I have missed being here with you guys, as a family." Uncle smiled at this, wrapping his arms around Aura in a tight hug.

"Of course you have!" he shouted, laughing at her surprised expression. He then proudly boasted, "We're the best family in all of Hyrule! Who wouldn't want to spend time with us?!"

At this, everyone laughed. Link smiled as he looked at the people in the house with him. Even though Aura and Emerald weren't his biological sisters, he still thought of them as closer than blood. And even though Uncle wasn't his father, Link would always look up to his Uncle like a father figure. Through and through, Link couldn't ask for a better family.

* * *

After a few hours of chatting, goofing around, and overall fun, Link, Uncle, Aura and Emerald went to bed. Emerald and Aura, despite having moved out almost a year before, still had there room in the house, and fell asleep almost instantly. Uncle and Link followed soon after, the house becoming quiet and peaceful. However, as they slept, a pair of shadows crept into the house from the outside. Silently, they slithered through the house like snakes, searching for their prey. They scanned the house, before finally finding their bounty. Like silent thieves, the shadows crawled into the room, and like ghosts snatched their targets.

No sooner had the shadows laid their claws on their prey did they scream. The blood wrenching scream woke the rest of the house, who quickly ran to the room to investigate the commotion. But it was too late. The shadows had made off with their targets.

"Who could have done this?" Uncle breathed, too shocked to say anything else.

"Whoever it was, he is a monster," Link growled, barely able to contain his rage. For what the shadows had done, what the shadows had taken, was both horrible and evil. It was unforgivable.

The shadows had kidnapped Aura and Emerald.

* * *

**So, yeah. I know my chapters are kind of short for now, but I've still been having a writer's block, and it doesn't help I have a narrative essay due in a week. I thought I did pretty good for the circumstances. Anyway, I know this chapter focuses quite a bit on Zelda and then on Crystal and Opal, but next chapter we'll get to see more of the dark figure, because it's very mysterious who he is. Besides, this chapter was mostly build up. Next chapter though, will include the beginning part of the game, so heads up everyone. Read and Review, Favorite, follow, whatever. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

**Until Next Time, take my hand and let's swan dive toward adventure!**

**~The Supreme~**


	5. Chapter 4: Beginning of a Legend Part 1

Chapter 4: Beginning of a Legend Part 1

**Hey guys! I am back with another chapter... er, half chapter, of A Link to the Past. sorry for the slight delay, but my college classes are not exactly a cake walk. No, they are not. Also, I got into a bit of car trouble, but I won't bore you fellows with the details. Before we get to the chapter, I want to thank SoulfulGinger17 and the mysterious Guest for reviewing my story. I always like getting reviews, and frankly, you two guys are just awesome. But anyway, enough about my awesome readers, On with the Show!**

* * *

King Sopranus sat on his throne, lost in his deep troubled thoughts. It was barely past noon, and he had already received a great share of foreboding news. Before the sun had even risen, he had been woken by his guards to disturbing news; two of his servants, by the names of Opal and Crystal, had gone missing in the middle of the night. King Sopranus immediately ordered his guards to launch a full investigation to search for them.

He had hoped that after that bit of troubling news, the day would go much more smoothly. He couldn't have been proven more wrong. Only a few hours after he had been told of the disappearance of Opal and Crystal, his guards came in with a report of another pair of missing girls, this time from a farm not too far outside of Castle Town. If not for the already mysterious disappearance of Opal and Crystal, Sopranus might have simply written it off as a bandit kidnapping, and let the guards deal with it. But it was clear to him now that these two incidents were not coincidence; whoever had kidnapped these girls had a much deeper motive than simply a ransom. King Sopranus did not know what this motive was, but intended to find out, personally.

"Have you discovered anything, yet?" He anxiously asked his guards as they marched into the throne room.

"I'm afraid not yet, your majesty," the lead guard stated, bowing respectfully to the king. The rest of the guards behind him shuffled uncomfortably, hoping their lack of progress would not upset the king.

Sopranus sighed heavily in frustration, but nodded in understanding. "Be sure to report back to me if you find _anything_ out," he ordered. The guards nodded formally before marching out of the throne room.

No sooner had the guards left the room did another person enter, this one moving rather hurriedly, as though she had urgent information. Sopranus looked up and realized it was none other than Impa, who appeared rather flustered. That only meant one thing; she had found something.

"What did you find?" Sopranus questioned, not even bothering to waste time with the pleasantries.

Impa stood in front of the throne for a brief moment, catching her breath; another sign she must have found something urgent. Rarely did the Sheikah ever run out of breath. "I managed to find a connection between Opal and Crystal and the other two girls who were recently kidnapped," Impa rasped quickly.

The king's eyes were instantly alight with excitement. "Yes?" He questioned, impatiently waiting for her response. "What is it? Out with it, woman!"

"I'd have told you already if you'd let me!" Impa retorted in agitation. Sopranus shut up immediately, allowing the elderly Sheikah to relay her discovery. "According to our allies, Opal and Crystal were actually Maidens, as well as the two kidnapped girls, Aura and Emerald."

Sopranus was surprised by this revelation. While he did have his suspicions about them being Maidens, never did he suspect that Opal and Crystal would actually turn out to _be _Maidens. He looked back at Impa with a grim expression.

"Do we know of the other Maidens?" he asked.

"According to our friend, they have not yet revealed themselves, though he believes he knows who two of them are. And the third-"

"We already know of," Sopranus finished for her, cutting her off carefully. She nodded in understanding; they did not know what mysterious forces could potentially be listening in on them. For a long while, the king of Hyrule was silent, contemplating what to do. Finally, he spoke. "I think we should personally investigate this matter, Impa," he decided, rising from his throne. Impa nodded and followed him out of the throne room.

"Do you think that the culprit is the dark power we've been sensing this whole time?" Impa asked gravely as they roamed the halls.

Sopranus nodded. "I'm sure of it. He must be planning to use the Maidens to create a bridge between this world and the Dark World. It is likely he is attempting to gain control of the Golden Power."

"We must not let him succeed," Impa responded, her determination clear as day.

Sopranus smiled at her. "Of course not," he agreed, "But if the prophecies are true, then only the chosen bearer of the Master Sword will be able to vanquish our foes and restore peace."

"Then let us hope that the chosen hero shows himself soon," Impa mused grimly, "Before it's too late."

Before they could continue their discussion, however, footsteps echoed across the hall, causing the pair to turn to identify the source of the noise. To their surprise, the footsteps belonged to none other than King Sopranus' mysterious adviser, Aghahnim.

Aghahnim bowed graciously before the king before speaking. "I heard about the recent kidnappings inside the castle," he said in a concerned tone, adding, "If there is anything I may do to help the investigation, I will be of service."

Impa gave the cloaked wizard a hard glare, but Sopranus smiled at his adviser's proposal. "Thank you, Aghahnim," the king spoke in a kind but cordial voice, "But we already have more than enough manpower on the investigation. Your willingness to help is noted, however."

Aghahnim nodded respectfully. "I understand, your highness," he replied, "But if you need any assistance in the investigation at all, please do not hesitate to ask me." With that, the cloaked wizard rushed off in a different direction, most likely his quarters, where he was most often holed up doing who-knows-what.

Once he was gone, Impa muttered under her breath, "I do not trust that man, your highness."

To her surprise, the king nodded his head in agreement. "Neither do I, Impa," he agreed solemnly.

Impa was taken aback by his response; after all the times he reprimanded Zelda for her distrust of Aghahnim, the king himself had his own suspicions of the wizard? "But you have always defended him and called him a worthy servant," Impa remembered.

"I've had my suspicions of him for a long time now," Sopranus admitted in a quiet voice. "However, I kept up the appearance that I trusted him, so he doesn't realize I have my doubts about him."

Next to him, Impa smiled, impressed by the king's deception. "I never knew you to be so cunning, Sopranus," she joked, causing him to chuckle slightly.

However, he soon turned serious once more. "Before anything else is said," he reminded her seriously, "We must ensure our suspicions are correct. If our fears are true and Aghahnim is indeed the dark power behind these kidnappings, we will have to act fast."

Impa nodded. "We must find indisputable evidence of his crimes in order to arrest him. We must hurry." The king nodded, and without another word, the two quickly hurried down the halls to the scene of the crime.

* * *

Meanwhile, almost on the other side of Hyrule, near the base of Death Mountain, an elderly man sat inside the cave he called home. The dwelling was small, dark, and had little in the way of luxuries, but the old man could not have picked a better home. Or so he said. Personally, his granddaughter and her friend could not have been more bored inside the meager dwelling.

"Hey Gramps!" the old man's young granddaughter rudely shouted. "Is there anything to do in this boring old cave?!" The girl was about 12 or 13 years old, and wore a simple red dress that was torn in many places. Her short brown hair was messy and fell into her eyes. She had a cocky grin on her face, and looked like the type of kid to start a fight for the fun of it. Overall, she seemed like a goofy troublemaker.

"Ruby," Her grandfather sighed heavily, "I've told you three times now: I have a wall of books over there." He gestured toward the wall just behind him, which was overflowing with dusty old books. "If you are so opposed to reading, play outside. Just watch out for the falling rocks."

Ruby huffed to herself before standing up. "I'm not worried about a bunch of rocks!" She shouted confidently. "Come on, Sapphire! let's go out and play!" She motioned for her friend to follow her. Reluctantly, Sapphire stood up and followed her older friend outside.

Sapphire was very different from Ruby: whereas Ruby wore a ripped red dress, Sapphire wore an elegant blue dress. While Ruby had short, messy brown hair, Sapphire had long, flowing black hair. Ruby was a troublemaker and a prankster; Sapphire was a well behaved little girl. Also, Sapphire was much younger than Ruby, only 8 or 9 years old. Nonetheless, Ruby and Sapphire got along better than any pair of friends you would ever meet.

"Hey Sapphire!" Ruby called out as she dashed up a small cliff overlooking the cave entrance. "I'm queen of the mountain!"

Sapphire giggled at her friends antics. "You should be careful, Ruby," Sapphire warned between giggles, "didn't your grandfather mention falling rocks?"

Ruby simply huffed before climbing higher up the cliff. Sapphire sighed to herself before hesitantly following her friend up the cliff-side. As the two climbed the cliff, however, a low rumble could be heard. At first, neither of the girls knew what the sound was. As they looked around in confusion, the rumbling began to grow louder, and almost seemed to come from above them.

"Look out!" Sapphire screamed in terror, suddenly seeing the source of the rumbling. Just as the old man had predicted, a number of large rocks began to tumble down the cliff-side, directly toward Sapphire and Ruby. In desperation, the two girls let go of the cliff, jumping aside just as the rocks smashed into the spot where they had just been on moments before.

"I can't believe we were almost crushed..." Ruby whispered, fear taking over. She sat on the seemingly safe cliff-side, trembling. Never had she been so close to being killed as before, and that thought terrified her.

"It's fine, Ruby," Sapphire soothed as she gently hugged her friend. She was just as surprised as her friend, but she couldn't afford to show it; she had to make sure Ruby didn't suddenly have a panic attack.

However, just as Ruby began to relax, another sound cut through the silence, though this one was not the rumbling of falling rocks like before. It sounded lighter, more rhythmic, like the sound of many little feet crawling across the ground. Looking up, Sapphire let out a shrill scream as she saw a plethora of large spider-like creatures emerge from the rubble of the boulders. The creatures were tektites, spider-like rock creatures that dwelled near caves, mountains, and rocky surfaces.

The tektites quickly began to scale the cliff-side, climbing the walls of the mountain like it was nothing. Sapphire and Ruby quickly looked around, hoping to find an escape route, but to their disappointment, they found nothing. They were completely trapped. In a manner of seconds, the tektites were upon the two girls, swarming the defenseless children before they even had a chance to react. Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the tektites disappeared, taking their captives with them.

The last thing the girls heard before they lost consciousness was a sickening voice, cackling to himself as he gleefully boasted, "At last, I've finally found you, my sweet little Maidens."

* * *

Back at Hyrule Castle, King Sopranus and his guards continued their thorough investigation of Crystal and Opal's quarters. While there was signs of a struggle, it was impossible to determine who could have possibly kidnapped them. To say that King Sopranus was growing frustrated would be an understatement. Impa could tell at only a glance that these disappearances were extremely troubling for the king.

A pair of guards suddenly marched into the quarters, saluting the king formally. The king nodded to the guards, indicating for them to speak. "We looked into the burn marks and torn carpet here in the room," one of the guards reported.

The king's face lit up immediately at the news. "Well?" he asked, clearly excited, "Go on!"

"We determined that the burn marks were caused by high pressure magic," The first guard said.

The king frowned. Despite this being an important breakthrough in the investigation, it didn't do much to further the case. In fact, this revelation only added more questions to the case. "Is there anything else?" he asked hopefully.

"As a matter of fact, yes," the second guard stated. "We noticed a small sample of blood on the carpet, as well as what appears to be a piece of cloth from a cloak."

The king beamed in triumph. This news was much more helpful. If they could figure out whose blood that was, and whose cloak that piece of cloth belonged to, they would be able to discover the culprit of these mysterious kidnappings.

"Look into both of these matters," Sopranus ordered urgently. "Inform me the _instant _you discover something." He turned to Impa, who had previously been searching the rest of the room for some sort of clue. "Impa, I want you to accompany them. Try to use your magic to find out whose blood that is. And if you can discover whose clothing that piece of cloth belonged to, we'll find out who the culprit of these atrocious crimes is."

Impa nodded solemnly and followed the pair of guards out of the room, leaving Sopranus alone with his thoughts. Despite how much progress they were making on this case in such a short amount of time, the king still felt uneasy. For some reason, he had a forboding feeling, almost as if the claws of death himself were about to wrap themselves around him. He shuddered and shoved those thoughts aside. For now, he would have to focus on the investigation and imminent threat that was approaching.

Sighing heavily, the king of Hyrule slowly walked back to his throne room to await the results of the investigation.

* * *

"Have you heard anything?" Link asked frantically, worry written all over his face as his uncle trudged into the house.

Uncle merely shook his head, a look of exhaustion evident on his face. He had been searching tirelessly for the past twelve hours since Aura and Emerald were kidnapped, looking everywhere from Kakariko Village to the Waterfall of Wishing. He had even went to the king, asking him to get the guards to mount a full search party for them. However, in an unfortunate coincidence, two girls had also been kidnapped inside the castle. The guards promised they would mount a search party, but admitted that they were unlikely to come up with anything until they could devote more manpower to the task.

Link had decided to search for Aura and Emerald as well, instead looking for them around the outskirts of the Lost Woods and the edge of Death Mountain. However, as Link was both unarmed and still just a kid, he didn't look too thoroughly, and returned back to the house after only a few hours. Since then, Link had been restless, constantly pacing around the house. He was consumed with worry and anxiety. He just hoped that wherever they were, they were at least safe.

"Link." Uncle's voice brought Link back to reality with a jolt. he turned to face his uncle, noting the older man's fatigue. "I'm going to go out and search for them some more, Link," Uncle muttered, turning to leave.

However, before he could, Link rushed over to him and grabbed his shoulder. "Uncle," Link pleaded, concerned, "You've been searching for them non-stop. You need rest."

Uncle gave Link a stern look, pulling away from Link. "Every second I spend resting, Aura and Emerald are in the hands of some potentially sadistic monster who is doing who-knows-what to them! I can't do nothing when they could be in mortal danger, Link!"

Link was taken aback by the intensity behind Uncle's words. Link knew exactly how he felt; he couldn't stand sitting by and feeling helpless while Aura and Emerald were probably lying in some dungeon left to die. Even so, Link knew his uncle was too tired to go out on his own. "Uncle," Link said firmly, "You _need _to rest. You're no good to them if you are too tired to do anything."

Uncle briefly gave his nephew a hard look, but after a moment conceded. "Fine," he sighed in defeat, adding quickly, "But only for a few hours. After that, I will resume my search."

Link smiled and nodded, satisfied. "Just get some rest, so you can regain some of your energy."

Uncle rolled his eyes, but nonetheless agreed, walking to his room and crashing into his bed. He was asleep before he even hit the bed.

Link smiled to himself before glancing out the window. Dark clouds loomed over the land; a storm was coming...

* * *

Aghahnim sat calmly in his quarters, watching the storm brewing over Hyrule Castle Town. People were hurrying to their homes, rushing to find shelter. It seemed people feared the storms; Aghahnim, on the other hand, enjoyed the storm. Storms bring change, washing away the filth and bringing new life. The sheer power of a storm was intoxicating to Aghahnim. Above anything else, Aghahnim valued, no, _craved_ power.

"And soon," the dark voice that was always with him boomed, "You will have it. We just need to find the last Maiden, and our plans will be complete!"

Behind the cloth hiding his face, Aghahnim grinned menacingly. His plans were almost complete, and soon, no one, not even that fool of a king would be able to oppose him.

As he continued to mull over his thoughts, the door to his quarters suddenly opened. Standing in the doorway was none other than the king. Feigning a look of concern, Aghahnim turned to the king.

"King Sopranus," he greeted formally, bowing lowly. "I trust you are here to give me an update on the investigation?"

King Sopranus nodded, his expression grim. "Indeed, Aghahnim. We've discovered the identity of the man responsible for the kidnappings."

Aghahnim raised an eyebrow. "You have?" he asked curiously. "Well, who is it?"

Sopranus sighed heavily, before saying, "I think you know who did it, Aghahnim." Suddenly, a score of guards marched into the room, each one armed with their weapons. Right behind them was Impa, who was wielding a short short in her hands threateningly. King Sopranus sighed once again, before drawing his own blade. "In the name of the Kingdom of Hyrule," the king ordered, his voice commanding and ruthless, "I hereby place you under arrest, Aghahnim, for attempting to kidnap the Seven Maidens, and for trying to overthrow the Kingdom of Hyrule."

* * *

**So how was the chapter? I know this chapter was mostly build up, but I thought it was better to end the chapter like this rather than extend the chapter and just make it drag out in a long, boring way. I assure you guys, the next chapter will be pretty awesome. Anyway, I think I'll wrap this up now. Again, thank you SoulfulGinger17 and Guest, whoever you are! I greatly appreciate it. Read, Review, and you know what? Punt a leprechaun! I've heard that's always fun!**

**Until Next Time, take my hand and let's swan dive toward adventure!**

**~The Supreme~**


	6. Chapter 5: Beginning of a Legend Part 2

Chapter 5: Beginning of a Legend Part 2

* * *

**Hey folks! I'm back, with another chapter of A Link to the Past. Now, I could go on about how I've been busy and didn't update and all that, but frankly, I think I got this chapter out rather quickly. Now, before we go into this chapter, I will warn you: there are some dark moments in this chapter. Like really dark. I don't know, maybe I'm a sociopath or something, who knows. I'd also like to give a big thanks to SoulfulGinger17, Gojira Geek, and AccessGranted196 (formerly known only as "Guest") for reviewing my story. Even something as simple as "Update Please" is a nice review to me (Thanks Gojira Geek, btw). Really, these guys (or chicks, I honestly have no clue) are awesome. But enough of my rambling about the slightly awesome reviewers I have. Anyway, On with the Show!**

* * *

Aghahnim smiled behind the cloth that hid his face. "Arrest me?" he asked in a mocking manner. "Do you truly think it will be that easy, King Sopranus?"

"Where are the girls you kidnapped, Aghahnim?" Sopranus ordered, glancing around the room.

The chamber was dark, with only a single light inside, which emanated from a torch directly above Aghahnim's head. From what could be seen of the room, Aghahnim ahd been practicing very dark, very sinister magic in the room. The room itself felt cold and menacing, as if another prescence loomed in the shadows. Despite that, there was no sign of any of the kidnapped girls.

"Oh, you wish to know where the Maidens are?" Aghahnim mocked, clearly not threatened in the least by the king and his guards. "I'm sure they are here somewhere..."

"Enough games, Sorcerer!" one of the guards shouted angrily. He was young, probably only in his early 20s, yet he showed fierce courage. "Where are you hiding the girls you kidnapped?!" He yelled, brandishing his spear.

Aghahnim's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh, you don't to play?" He said in mock sad voice. "Well then, I guess we'll have to get serious."

"WHERE ARE THEY, AGHAHNIM!" The king roared with such intensity that everyone in the room flinched. Even Aghahnim looked startled by the show of rage by the normally collected king.

Without warning, Aghahnim burst in laughter. He howled with crazed, psychotic laughter. It was so surprising the guards immediately felt unnerved; they certainly weren't dealing with any ordinary foe. This man was absolutely insane, and incredibly dangerous.

"I'm sorry," Aghahnim finally spoke, choking down his laughter. "I just find it funny how you honestly think you are the one in control, Sopranus." Suddenly, Aghahnim's red eyes began to glow, burning as though tiny suns. "I'm the one in control, Oh _Mighty _King of Hyrule." Aghahnim's voice sounded drastically different now. It boomed, like the sound of thunder; it was deeper, filled with far more hate and loathing than Aghahnim's ever was. This new side of Aghahnim was frightening; even the king himself shuddered in fear from the malevolent aura that now radiated from the dark wizard.

Then, as suddenly as it came, it vanished. Aghahnim's eyes returned to their normal crimson hue and his body no longer seemed to give off waves of evil. Even still, Sopranus and his guards were even more wary of facing Aghahnim; If that power was stored inside Aghahnim, then what hope did that have of facing him?

As though reading their minds, Aghahnim spoke up, his voice even more confident than before. "As you can see," he boasted, his voice dripping with pride, "I have found Power far greater than anything you or any other being can hope to understand."

Realization suddenly hit Sopranus. "So that's what you plan to do..." he muttered, dread stabbing into his chest like a knife. "You are after the Golden Power, aren't you?"

Aghahnim looked thoughtful for a moment, as if contemplating the question. "In a way, I suppose," he answered. "Though, I guess I could also say that I already have the Golden Power in my grasp," he mused, chuckling at the reaction of the king.

The king couldn't bear to believe the wizard's words. If he already had possession of the Golden Power, why would he need the Maidens? For that matter, how would he even be able to access the Golden Power?

Aghahnim seemed to realize that his answer confused the king. "Don't worry, Sopranus," Aghahnim said, bringing the king and his guards out of their thoughts. "I don't expect you to comprehend my actions or my words. An ant can't comprehend the words or actions of a god, now can he?"

"Enough of your riddles, snake!" Impa shouted, having grown tired of the ramblings of the crazed sorcerer. "Tell us where the Maidens are this instant!"

Her command was so powerful, Aghahnim was actually surprised for a brief moment. However, he soon recovered, and arrogantly told them, "Now, now, I'm not just going to give you their location." The dark wizard raised his hands threateningly. "If you want to know where they are, you'll just have to beat the information out of me."

"So be it."

No sooner were those words said did the guards charge furiously at the wizard. Immediately, Aghahnim was engulfed in a frenzy of blades and spears. However, to the shock of the guards, every single slash seemed to harmlessly pass through him, as though cutting through air. Aghahnim chuckled at the futile efforts of the guards as they continued to hack away at him pointlessly.

Suddenly, as one of the shafts passed through his body, Aghahnim reached out and grasped the haft of the spear, yanking it from the hands of its owner. With a flick of his wrist, Aghahnim rammed the tip of the spear into a soldier's throat. The soldier crumbled to the ground, where he laid dead in a pool of his own blood.

The guards gaped in horror at the dead soldier, before looking back at Aghahnim. "Now," Aghahnim spoke, his eyes deadly serious, "it's **my **turn."

In a flash, literally, two more soldiers fell dead. Before the guards even realized what was happening, Aghahnim pointed his hands at the soldiers, and balls of energy burst from his hands, vaporizing several guards where they stood. At this point, a number of the guards had begun to lose hope, and made a mad dash for the exit. Before they could even open the door, however, another ball of energy crashed into them, turning them to ash.

Of the thirty guards who had accompanied King Sopranus and Impa, only 10 were still standing. Nearly all of them had lost the will to fight, and even a few had dropped their swords in surrender. One of the more experienced soldiers, however, refused to lose hope, and valiantly charged at the wizard. He swung his sword directly at the wizard's hood, intending to behead the sorcerer. Aghahnim's eye's widened for a moment, and he instinctively shoved the elder soldier back, leaving a burning hand print on the man's armor. The soldier suddenly realized he had inadvertently discovered the wizard's weak point.

"Men," he shouted as he continued to swing his blade at Aghahnim's head, "our strikes may not be able to harm his body, but they can harm his head. Aim for his head!" The elder soldier's advice was like a glowing light; the remaining guards instantly renewed their assault, picking up their weapons and swinging their blades at the wizard's skull. Even for a man of his power, it was growing more difficult to avoid the soldiers' strikes.

Finally, Aghahnim growled in frustration and threw his hands outwards, causing a shockwave to erupt awround him. The soldiers were thrown backward, knocking nearly all of them unconscious. The few that were still awake were unable to move, their bodies somehow paralyzed from Aghahnim's magic.

The only people still standing in the room were just Aghahnim, Impa, and the king.

Aghahnim laughed darkly as he slowly walked toward the king. "It looks like it's just the three of us now," Aghahnim noted as he approached the king casually.

King Sopranus scowled before raising his sword. "Then I'm afraid this is as far as you go," Sopranus replied, an odd calm washing over him. "I will not allow you to hurt any more innocent lives. This ends now." Next to him, Impa nodded in agreement before raising her own weapons, a pair of short Sheikah knives.

Aghahnim stopped, only yards away from the king and Impa. "I agree, Sopranus," the dark wizard replied, a cold chill behind his words. "This _will _end now." Suddenly, Aghahnim's demeanor completely shifted, warping from the confident and arrogant persona he showed only moments before to a significantly darker, more sinister personality.

"I will kill you both here, without a moment's hesitation, and then all I shall need is the final Maiden and my plans will finally be complete!" Aghahnim spoke with the same booming, terrifying power that Aghahnim showed before. His eyes glowed brightly, just before, and the evil aura he emitted returned, only far greater now. "The kingdom of Hyrule will be crushed under my foot," Aghahnim declared, his voice ripe with hatred. "From the ashes of the dying kingdom, I will bring forth a new empire, ruled by Power."

It took all of the king's willpower not to cower in fear from Aghahnim's new power. The power radiating from Aghahnim was far greater than before, as though he had only given them a small taste before. Yet the king swallowed his fear; he refused to allow his kingdom to fall because he was too afraid to fight.

"Enough of this, Aghahnim!" Sopranus shouted, feeling his courage slowly return to him. "I will not allow my people to suffer! I will rescue the Maidens, no matter where you have hidden them! I will stop you, even if it costs me my life!"

Aghahnim's power slowly began to recede, and the wizard's former personality seemed to regain control. His eyes no longer glowed, and his body no longer radiated the malevolent power. "Enough of this, you say?" Aghahnim whispered, his voice now returned to normal. "As you wish."

Before either the king or Impa could blink, Aghahnim was inches from them, and in a flash knocked the two back. As the king quickly jumped to his feet, Aghahnim flicked his hands at him, sending a barrage of magical balls of energy in his direction. The king rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding incineration as one of the balls whizzed past his head. Aghahnim launched barrage after barrage at the king, barely giving him any time to react, much less dodge the balls of energy.

However, as the wizard focused his attention on the king, he completely forgot about Impa, who stood up quickly, grabbing one of her short knives and flinging it accurately at the back of Aghahnim's neck. Aghahnim felt a cold chill run down his spine, and just as he turned his body the knife narrowly flew past his neck, nearly decapitating him on the spot. He turned to face Impa, throwing a barrage of energy balls her way. Despite her decrepit appearance, the Sheikah nimbly avoided the numerous balls of energy flung her way. She then pulled another pair of knives from her sleeves, flinging them at Aghahnim.

As Impa kept Aghahnim occupied, King Sopranus rose to his feet once again before charging at his foe. Aghahnim was taken completely off guard; in front of him, Impa threw another flurry of knives, whilst behind him the king was in midswing, his blade mere inches from Aghahnim's throat. There seemed to be no possible way for Aghahnim to escape this time. He was beaten.

However, Just before either attack could connect, Aghahnim exploded with Power. Both Impa and King Sopranus was sent flying like ragdolls across the room before crashing painfully against the wall. Like the soldiers who Aghahnim had defeated before, the magic he used seemed to paralyze them. Aghahnim began to wheeze heavily; it was clear the explosion drained him considerably. Nevertheless, he confidently stood above the king and the Sheikah, victorious.

"It's finally the end, King Sopranus," Aghahnim said to the barely conscious king. "You failed, your highness. I've won."

"Not yet you haven't," Impa spat as she struggled to stand.

"No?" Aghahnim questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I've already beaten you and your guards. And as for the Maidens, I've already sent them to the Dark World; all I need is the final Maiden and the seal keeping this world and the Dark World separate will be undone."

"You will never find the final maiden, Aghahnim," Sopranus rasped, a determined look in his eye. "I promise you that."

"Oh I wont?" Aghahnim replied, giving the king a curious look. "Well I hate to burst your bubble, your highness, but I already know the identity of the final Maiden."

Sopranus visibly paled at this. "No..."

"Yes," Aghahnim hissed, his voice laced with satisfaction. "Your daughter, Princess Zelda, is the final Maiden."

Sopranus was speechless. Fear tore into his psyche, ravaging his mind. There was no way Aghahnim could have figured it out; he had to be bluffing.

As of reading his mind, Aghahnim stated, "I've known her identity as one of the Maidens for the longest time now, but kidnapping her at that stage would have been... rash. It was far better to wait until the rest of the Maidens were in my grasp to finally abduct her."

"You can't do this, Aghahnim," the King pleaded, finally growing desperate. He struggled to move, but whatever the power was that Aghahnim used on them completely immobilized him.

"Actually," Aghahnim retorted, his voice eerily calm, "I can. I can do anything I want now, and there is nothing you or anyone can do to stop me."

"Aghahnim-" The king whispered one last time, but before he could say any more, Aghahnim cut him off.

"Goodbye, King Sopranus." Aghahnim stated stoically, and without further hesitation, fired a large ball of energy point blank at the king.

A bright flash lit the room, and when everything came back into focus, Impa let out an audible gasp. She felt tears slowly fall from her eyes as she looked at the form next to her. Where King Sopranus had been lying a moment before lay a pile of ash, a golden crown lying next to the ashes.

"Monster," Impa whispered, refusing to look up at Aghahnim.

Aghahnim glanced down at her, unfeeling. "I'm not a monster," Aghahnim retorted, his voice devoid of any emotion. "I'm a devil." With that, he point his hand at her as well, and another flash of light enveloped the room.

* * *

Zelda had a weird feeling about today. At first, she had hoped that it would be a good day; maybe she'd be able to find out what had been up with Opal and Crystal yesterday. However, immediately after waking up, Zelda learned that Opal and Crystal had been kidnapped. Naturally, she was distraught over this. Despite several of her servants urging her not to worry too much about it, Zelda couldn't help but worry. The entire day she was distracted by thoughts of Opal and Crystal, trapped in the clutches of a creepy, probably perverted group of bandits.

It wasn't just that that bothered Zelda, either. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was going to happen today. Something _bad. _She tried to tell herself she was just imagining things, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake that feeling.

It was also odd that she hadn't seen either Impa or her father all day. They were both busy, of course, but she would always see them at some point in the day. Come to think of it, she now noticed that the castle felt much emptier now. It wasn't like there was a shortage of people; everyone from guards and royal advisors to maids and servants roamed the castle halls. Zelda wasn't one to get afraid easily, but she nevertheless felt uneasy roaming the vacant halls.

"Princess!"

Zelda turned around in surprise, wondering who was addressing her. To her confusion, she saw Impa, whose clothes were torn to shreds and her body was covered in bruises and cuts. She looked terrified; more than the torn clothing or the injuries, that told Zelda something was wrong. Zelda had never seen Impa look so afraid.

"Impa!" Zelda called out, surprised that Impa was not slowing down. "What's-"

"No time, child!" Impa cut her off quickly, and before Zelda could even process what was going on, Impa snatched her up and began to carry her, not once breaking her pace.

"What's going on, Impa?" Zelda asked in completely bewilderment. Impa ignored her question and continued to sprint through the halls. Impa's eye continually darted, investigating every corner, every shadow, every minor detail.

After about five minutes, Impa neared the entrance hall with Zelda in tow. However, Zelda had grown extremely agitated in that time, for not once did Impa try to answer her questions.

"We are almost out of the castle now," Impa muttered to herself, looking relieved.

However, Zelda refused to leave the castle without getting answers. "Impa!" Zelda shouted, causing the elderly Sheikah to finally remember Zelda. She looked at the young princess she was carrying, and felt a pang of guilt well up in her; all Zelda wanted was answers.

"I'm sorry, Zelda," Impa apologized, though she did not stop moving. "Things are complicated right now. I'll explain everything I can once we get to safety."

"But why do we need to leave the castle?" Zelda asked, still frustrated. "And where is my father? Why isn't he leaving the castle as well?"

At this, Impa felt tears in her eyes once more, and she hid her face from Zelda. Though she said nothing, Zelda knew something had happened to her father.

"Impa," Zelda said gently, "What happened to my father?"

Impa was silent for a moment, until, in a quiet voice, she shakily responded. "Your father, the king... he's dead." At this, Impa let out a sob, breaking down into tears even as she continued to run toward the castle's exit.

For a moment, Zelda felt as though the entire world had stopped moving. Impa's words echoed in her head.

_He's dead._

In barely a whisper, Zelda muttered the only thought that ran through her mind: "How?"

Impa fell silent once again, but quickly responded. "Aghahnim killed him."

Zelda was just as shocked by this revelation. She knew Aghahnim was an untrustworthy snake, but to kill her father? Why would he do such a thing.

"Aghahnim was the one who kidnapped Opal and Crystal," Impa explained. "He discovered that they were two of the Seven Maidens. He's been kidnapping them so he can use them to gain control of the Golden Power."

This only confused Zelda even further. "The Seven Maidens?" She repeated, "Golden Power? What does any of this have to do with anything?"

"More than you'd think," Impa replied. She then continued with her explanation. "Your father and I confronted Aghahnim with a group of thirty guards. We were prepared, or so we thought. We were wrong. Aghahnim's powers were far too great for us to overcome. We were defeated. I only escaped by pure luck."

Zelda's blood ran cold. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Aghahnim had murdered her father and wiped out a group of thirty soldiers? But then one thing suddenly hit her.

"But wait," Zelda began, "If he's already killed my father and has all the Maidens, then what's stopping him from just taking over right now?"

Impa and Zelda had finally made it to the front entrance, and Impa finally slowed down slightly. With a heavy sigh, Impa spoke. "Aghahnim doesn't have all the Maidens, Zelda. He still requires the Final Maiden. He needs _you, _Princess Zelda."

Before Zelda could express her shock at yet another surprisingly revelation, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"That's right."

Impa grinded to halt at the front door to Hyrule Castle. Standing at the entrance was none other than Aghahnim. Impa grunted in frustration. They were so close!

"I must say I'm impressed, Impa," Aghahnim casually stated, walking up to the woman as though he had not tried to kill her only minutes before. "You've managed to avoid being killed by me more times than I can count today. But this game is over. It's time to give up."

Impa shielded Zelda from Aghahnim's view and snarled, "Never."

Aghahnim sighed in defeat. "Very well, I suppose I'll have to just _erase _you then." Before Impa could blink, Aghahnim grabbed her by the throat. Impa had let go out Zelda by this point, and silently urged the princess to run. In one swift motion, Aghahnim snapped Impa's neck, flinging her body aside, and grabbed Zelda by the hair just as she began to run for the doors.

"Oh, so close," Aghahnim mocked cruelly as Zelda struggled to pull her hair from the wizard's grip. "Don't worry, though, Princess." Aghahnim yanked Zelda's hair roughly, pulling her in his grasp. He then turned her to look into his twisted red eyes. "I'm not going to kill you," He assured in a twisted voice. "You're far too...valueable for that."

Zelda continued to struggle in Aghahnim's grip as he gently caressed her cheek. "No, I'm going to do something _far _better than that." He then pulled Zelda close, and whispered menacingly in her ear, "I'm going to conquer you, Princess Zelda. I'll _ravage _you, until the only sound that you will register is the sound of your own screams. You will cry until blood drips from your eyes for lack of tears, and you will not be able to move from fear of breaking. I will torture you until you are _mine. _Then, one you have finally accepted your fate, I will grant you mercy and send you to the Dark World, where you will be driven to madness by the sheer thought of me. I will enjoy you, Zelda. _That _is a promise."

Without hesitation, Zelda pulled her hand free and punched Aghahnim in the face with all her might. To say he was caught by surprise would be an understatement. He let her go and clutched his face in agony, moaning in pain. Zelda bolted for the door, not even looking back to see if Aghahnim was still stunned from her punch. However, just as she was about to reach the doors, she felt an invisible force yank her back.

She screamed in terror as she felt herself return to Aghahnim's grip. However, Aghahnim was no longer as gentle as before. In fact, his red eyes had grown even more murderous now. "That... was a foolish mistake," He seethed, before pulling Zelda close to him again. "I think I should teach you a lesson right now, just to be safe." He then slowly reached for the hem of her dress.

"NOOOOO!" Zelda screamed, and instinctively shoved against him.

To both his and her surprise, a barrier of light erupt between them, shoving the dark wizard away from her form. Aghahnim tried to take a step forward, but was immediately shoved back by the barrier yet again. No matter how many times he tried to dispel the barrier, he couldn't, and that fact alone brought Zelda an immense amount of relief. She sobbed in relief, and took a step toward the doors.

However, just as she made her move toward the doorway, Aghahnim snapped his fingers, slamming the doors shut. Zelda didn't even have to approach the doors to know that she wouldn't be able to open them now; Aghahnim had trapped her here.

"You may have avoided my punishment for now," he admitted darkly, "but you are now trapped here; Mark my words, Princess: you _will_ suffer."

Suddenly, an entire battalion of Castle Guards marched into the entrance hall, each brandishing a sword and shield. Zelda felt relief wash over her once again as the guards marched toward Aghahnim. However, her relief quickly changed to horror when she saw the guards salute to Aghahnim. Aghahnim had them under his control!

"Take the princess to the dungeons," Aghahnim ordered.

The head guard nodded, as if in a daze. "As you wish, Lord Aghahnim," he blankly recited.

Before she could do anything to resist, Zelda was quickly handcuffed by the nearest guards. They led her through the halls until they finally stopped at a flight of stairs leading downward. As they brought her down into the dark and gloomy dungeon, there was only thought that crossed Zelda's mind: _"I'm completely alone."_

* * *

Link was dreaming.

In his dream, he was wandering through an underground passage. The dimly lit tunnel was filled with tiny puddles of water, and moss hung from the ancient walls.

Link had no idea what he was doing down here, but he could hear a faint voice speaking_: "Help me."_

The voice caught Link off guard. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't recognize it.

_"Please help me. I'm a prisoner in the dungeon of the castle."_

Link quickly began searching for the source of the voice. He began to run further along the tunnel, searching for some sign of the voice's origin.

_"The dark wizard Aghahnim has done... something to other girls. Now only I remain."_

Link continued to run through the tunnel, seeking desperately to search for the source of the voice. Suddenly, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Link hesitated for a moment, wondering what to do.

_"Aghahnim has seized control of the castle and is now trying to open the Seven Sage's seal."_

Link wasn't sure of what the voice was talking about, but he nevertheless began to walk toward the light. One way or another, Link would get the answers he was looking for.

_"I'm in the dungeon of the castle. Please help me..."_

The last thing Link saw were three glowing triangles...

* * *

**Okay, so there you have it! We are now to the VERY beginning of the game now. Now, before I say anything else, I'd just like to say I'm sorry if this chapter kind of all over the place in parts. I did this chapter in two blocks, so some parts may feel very differently written than other parts. Also, I'm sure someone's going to be completely disturbed by Aghahnim in this chapter. I was trying to portray him as kind of a mix between Zant's 'psychotic freakshow' and Ghirahim's 'flamboyant sadist', but I think I may have taken it a bit too far... Oh well, sometimes you gotta push the envelope to make a good villain! Also, I made a DBZ reference in this chapter, and I'll give a personal cookie to the first person who can find it. Warning: it's subtle.**

**Now, since I'm not really able to respond to AccessGranted196, since he's actually just a Guest, I guess I'll use this space to add my response:**

**I'm really glad I'm able to make your day with my stories; I'm not likely to just drop this story...yet... Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, I get ultra pissed when people just randomly end good stories. Too many stories have died like that. And as for those dungeon scenes, they are coming up, REALLY quick (HINT).**

**Anyway, That concludes this chapter. I'll get to updating the chapter soon, but no promises. **

**Until Next Time, take my hand and let's swan dive toward adventure!**

**~The Supreme~ **


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